Perfect Rant

Perfection is an evil spirit that, if not used carefully can devour happiness.
Perfection is the enemy of good.

I never thought I would write an essay putting down the concept of perfection, but here I go. I was raised with the concept that striving for perfection was (mostly) a good thing. As a young man I struggled with the concept and definition of perfection.
I tried to achieve perfection in my crafts. It drove me to work harder, but it never made me happy, because it never was truly achieved. Over the years, I observed that some of the best perfectionists were also alcoholics who were struggling to keep their life together. Eventually I picked up the hints that perfect is an ego driven fantasy. Perfect is a narrow point of view.

What is better than perfect; more practical, more productive, more mature, more inclusive?
Excellence. The careful balance of the many dimensions that enter into any real life challenge.
Willingness to make mistakes in the pursuit of that excellence.
Dedication to truly getting better.
Accepting that you are getting better.
Sticking to it.



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Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing. ~Harriet Braiker

A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault. ~John Henry Newman


Nothing that is complete breathes. ~Antonio Porchia,

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering.
There is a crack in everything,
That's how the light gets in.
~Leonard Cohen

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best. ~Henry van Dyke

Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without. ~Confucius, Analects

When you aim for perfection, you discover it's a moving target. ~George Fisher

You see, when weaving a blanket, an Indian woman leaves a flaw in the weaving of that blanket to let the soul out. ~Martha Graham

A good garden may have some weeds. ~Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732

I cling to my imperfection, as the very essence of my being. ~Anatole France (Jacques Anatole François Thibault), The Garden of Epicurus, 1894