Comments on: The Perfect Is the Enemy of the Good http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/12/18/the-perfect-is-the-enemy-of-the-good/ Simple, applicable personal finance advice for the modern world Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:55:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: julia http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/12/18/the-perfect-is-the-enemy-of-the-good/comment-page-1/#comment-835014 julia Sat, 26 Dec 2009 17:50:38 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4735#comment-835014 Awesome post and comments too. I even wrote myself a reminder to do things imperfectly - on purpose-to get comfortable with imperfection -especially in situations where it really does not matter. I can get so caught up in creating a perfect workpaper for my job when all I really need is to provide "sufficient evidence"....:) Awesome post and comments too. I even wrote myself a reminder to do things imperfectly – on purpose-to get comfortable with imperfection -especially in situations where it really does not matter. I can get so caught up in creating a perfect workpaper for my job when all I really need is to provide “sufficient evidence”….:)

]]> By: Matt Jabs http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/12/18/the-perfect-is-the-enemy-of-the-good/comment-page-1/#comment-833988 Matt Jabs Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:12:54 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4735#comment-833988 Great post here... all of this rings very true in my own life. I find that by nature I want to do everything perfect out of the gate and sometimes that can really paralyze my efforts. I don't know if I'm afraid of failure or what, but I have to actively train myself to JUST DO IT without worrying about whether or not things are perfect. We all make mistakes, it is more important for us to get our work done than it is for us to get our work perfect! Once it's done we can always go back and tweak it later. :-) Great post here… all of this rings very true in my own life. I find that by nature I want to do everything perfect out of the gate and sometimes that can really paralyze my efforts.

I don’t know if I’m afraid of failure or what, but I have to actively train myself to JUST DO IT without worrying about whether or not things are perfect.

We all make mistakes, it is more important for us to get our work done than it is for us to get our work perfect! Once it’s done we can always go back and tweak it later. :-)

]]> By: Ryan K http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/12/18/the-perfect-is-the-enemy-of-the-good/comment-page-1/#comment-833179 Ryan K Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:49:17 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4735#comment-833179 I started to post a response. Then I realized it was verbatim what Evita said. Really. This is exactly what I needed! I'm back! I started to post a response. Then I realized it was verbatim what Evita said. Really. This is exactly what I needed! I’m back!

]]> By: Evita http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/12/18/the-perfect-is-the-enemy-of-the-good/comment-page-1/#comment-833124 Evita Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:03:10 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4735#comment-833124 Thank you Trent. This is exactly what I needed to read this morning! Xmas time is so trying for would-be frugalists! Thank you Trent. This is exactly what I needed to read this morning! Xmas time is so trying for would-be frugalists!

]]> By: Trent http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/12/18/the-perfect-is-the-enemy-of-the-good/comment-page-1/#comment-832772 Trent Sun, 20 Dec 2009 19:58:41 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4735#comment-832772 I got the "perfect is the enemy of the good" quote from my high school English teacher, Randy Byrn, who attributed it to Voltaire. He refused to ever give anyone 100% on any essay turned in because, in his eyes, there is no perfection in life and to constantly strive for it means you become single-minded and a poorly-rounded person. I got the “perfect is the enemy of the good” quote from my high school English teacher, Randy Byrn, who attributed it to Voltaire. He refused to ever give anyone 100% on any essay turned in because, in his eyes, there is no perfection in life and to constantly strive for it means you become single-minded and a poorly-rounded person.

]]> By: Joan http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/12/18/the-perfect-is-the-enemy-of-the-good/comment-page-1/#comment-832421 Joan Sat, 19 Dec 2009 21:42:47 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4735#comment-832421 Trent: Thank you for the great posts during this past year. (ACTUALLY THREE YEARS) Most of all, I want to thank you that my email didn't fill up with a bunch of junk after I signed up for your blog. Just in the last couple of months; I have signed up for three more blogs (your blog was the only one until then)since signing up for those three blogs I have received a bunch of junk. It is almost impossible to get rid of that crap; instead it seems to multiply. So thank you again for your ethics, great posts, and I am in awe of how you can make even subjects that I have no interest in so interesting. GREAT WORK. Trent: Thank you for the great posts during this past year. (ACTUALLY THREE YEARS) Most of all, I want to thank you that my email didn’t fill up with a bunch of junk after I signed up for your blog. Just in the last couple of months; I have signed up for three more blogs (your blog was the only one until then)since signing up for those three blogs I have received a bunch of junk. It is almost impossible to get rid of that crap; instead it seems to multiply. So thank you again for your ethics, great posts, and I am in awe of how you can make even subjects that I have no interest in so interesting. GREAT WORK.

]]> By: J.D. http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/12/18/the-perfect-is-the-enemy-of-the-good/comment-page-1/#comment-832134 J.D. Sat, 19 Dec 2009 06:44:50 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4735#comment-832134 <b>@Kara (#10)</b> I'm not sure where I first heard "the perfect is the enemy of the good". In my mind -- faulty as it is -- I came up with it on my own. I'm not nearly that clever, though, so I'm sure I heard it somewhere else first. I do know that <a href="http://www.famous-quotes.net/Quote.aspx?The_perfect_is_the_enemy_of_the_good" rel="nofollow">Voltaire made the saying famous</a>. I thought Aristotle might have said something similar, but I think I'm hallucinating. Regardless, it's a vital part of my philosophy. I think that striving for "perfect" solutions paralyzes a lot of people... @Kara (#10)
I’m not sure where I first heard “the perfect is the enemy of the good”. In my mind — faulty as it is — I came up with it on my own. I’m not nearly that clever, though, so I’m sure I heard it somewhere else first. I do know that Voltaire made the saying famous. I thought Aristotle might have said something similar, but I think I’m hallucinating. Regardless, it’s a vital part of my philosophy. I think that striving for “perfect” solutions paralyzes a lot of people…

]]> By: Kara http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/12/18/the-perfect-is-the-enemy-of-the-good/comment-page-1/#comment-832104 Kara Sat, 19 Dec 2009 05:49:06 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4735#comment-832104 This is a really good post. This is not the first time that I have heard this saying latley. As mentioned before, JD at GRS uses it, but I have also heard it a couple of times on TV latley. My question is: Does anyone know where that saying originated? This is not a "Trent should cite his sources" comment. I'm just wondering where the saying came from This is a really good post. This is not the first time that I have heard this saying latley. As mentioned before, JD at GRS uses it, but I have also heard it a couple of times on TV latley. My question is: Does anyone know where that saying originated? This is not a “Trent should cite his sources” comment. I’m just wondering where the saying came from

]]> By: *pol http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/12/18/the-perfect-is-the-enemy-of-the-good/comment-page-1/#comment-831912 *pol Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:52:23 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4735#comment-831912 Thank you! That was very well put. I will stop beating myself up about the things I have not acheived this year (my battle is with clutter). I have to remember the progress and move forward from this point! Thank you!
That was very well put. I will stop beating myself up about the things I have not acheived this year (my battle is with clutter). I have to remember the progress and move forward from this point!

]]> By: John DeFlumeri Jr http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/12/18/the-perfect-is-the-enemy-of-the-good/comment-page-1/#comment-831887 John DeFlumeri Jr Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:00:17 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4735#comment-831887 So too unrealistic of a goal guarantees failure. John DeFlumeri Jr So too unrealistic of a goal guarantees failure.

John DeFlumeri Jr

]]> By: Mark http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/12/18/the-perfect-is-the-enemy-of-the-good/comment-page-1/#comment-831787 Mark Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:41:28 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4735#comment-831787 Good is the enemy of great. It's okay to make mistakes. Just don't repeat them. Past performance is indicative of future results. Learn from the past. Good is the enemy of great. It’s okay to make mistakes. Just don’t repeat them. Past performance is indicative of future results. Learn from the past.

]]> By: Money Funk http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/12/18/the-perfect-is-the-enemy-of-the-good/comment-page-1/#comment-831752 Money Funk Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:23:42 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4735#comment-831752 I was thinking about the same thoughts as I was hiking our local mountains. Success is not a straight line up. Uust as hiking has it's ups and downs and bends. It's a journey and that is what makes the end so sweet. We work hard to reach the summit. You are right, if we strive to be perfect than we are doomed to fail from the start. It's better to anticipate obstacles and go with the flow in the right direction. I was thinking about the same thoughts as I was hiking our local mountains. Success is not a straight line up. Uust as hiking has it’s ups and downs and bends. It’s a journey and that is what makes the end so sweet. We work hard to reach the summit.

You are right, if we strive to be perfect than we are doomed to fail from the start. It’s better to anticipate obstacles and go with the flow in the right direction.

]]> By: Hannah http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/12/18/the-perfect-is-the-enemy-of-the-good/comment-page-1/#comment-831747 Hannah Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:09:26 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4735#comment-831747 Isn't this like JD Roth's motto over at Get Rich Slowly? Isn’t this like JD Roth’s motto over at Get Rich Slowly?

]]> By: katie http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/12/18/the-perfect-is-the-enemy-of-the-good/comment-page-1/#comment-831735 katie Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:31:47 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4735#comment-831735 So true. I'm finally coming to understand this principle and to learn when enough is enough. So true. I’m finally coming to understand this principle and to learn when enough is enough.

]]> By: Chelsea http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/12/18/the-perfect-is-the-enemy-of-the-good/comment-page-1/#comment-831706 Chelsea Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:40:57 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4735#comment-831706 This really struck a chord with me this morning... as applied to normal healthy eating and all the sweets around this time of year. This really struck a chord with me this morning… as applied to normal healthy eating and all the sweets around this time of year.

]]> By: Derek Cormier http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/12/18/the-perfect-is-the-enemy-of-the-good/comment-page-1/#comment-831691 Derek Cormier Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:07:58 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4735#comment-831691 Kinda funny, Bill Clinton used that exact language when speaking to the Senate regarding the health care bill. It was quoted in this morning's NY Post. Rock on! Kinda funny, Bill Clinton used that exact language when speaking to the Senate regarding the health care bill. It was quoted in this morning’s NY Post.

Rock on!

]]> By: Daniel http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/12/18/the-perfect-is-the-enemy-of-the-good/comment-page-1/#comment-831688 Daniel Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:02:31 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/?p=4735#comment-831688 Being perfect means not repeating mistakes. Nobody is perfect all the time, but by constantly growing and learning, we can constantly improve. Being perfect means not repeating mistakes. Nobody is perfect all the time, but by constantly growing and learning, we can constantly improve.

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