VIII. At Our Best… ↑
63. We do not demand perfection.
Although we improve things, and we pursue growth and development, we do not demand perfection, either in the things we make, or in each other.
This is partly because the notion of perfection implies that all desirable qualities in a thing can be resolved so that each one is maximized. In practice, desirable qualities are often in competition with one another, and so necessitate trade-offs. (And so the illusion of perfection can only be obtained by insisting that only a small set of compatible qualities are desirable.)
But it is also because, beyond a certain point, the law of diminishing returns kicks in, and additional application of effort produces ever-smaller returns on investment.
Words from Others on this Topic
It is not because angels are holier than men or devils that makes them angels, but because they do not expect holiness from one another, but from God only.
William Blake, 1880, from the essay “A Vision of the Last Judgment”
Perfect is the enemy of good.
Give them the third best to go on with; the second best comes too late, the best never comes.
Next: 64. We recognize the need for balance