Friday, January 15, 2010

The Perfect Is the Enemy of The Good

I am inspired this morning by Voltaire.  Actually, this quotation "the perfect is the enemy of the good" is my inspiration; I googled it and saw it was from Voltaire.  How often do I do nothing because I don't have time to do it perfectly?  Sometimes, I'll realize that I haven't responded to an email or phone call from someone I care very much about . . . because I felt like I didn't have time to respond "well" or "fully."  So I don't respond at all?  I'll avert my eyes from the dog hair under the TV cabinet, because I don't have time (or energy or inclination) to clean the house from top to bottom.  Really?  Today, I resolve to do what I can, where I am.  Good is good!  Improvement is good!  Perfect is impossible and not even really desirable. 
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1 comment:

  1. Mary Elizabeth BarrettJanuary 15, 2010 at 4:29 PM

    catherine, i couldn't agree more. when i was studying child development theory in graduate school, i believe it was erik erikson who said (when talking about learning theory), "Expect improvement, not perfection."

    it has always stuck with me.

    meb

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