"The best is the enemy of the better" is an English translation of a French aphorism. Perfectionist's Anonymous, please heed these words! While divine works of art, a glorious sunset, a perfect rose, or a newborn of any species embody this quality, most things of this world fall short.
Of course perfectly engineered bridges, highway overpasses, airplane engines and the like are important areas in which perfection is a virtue, but like most things in life, human error presents a caveat. Mostly, human beings are exploring the mysteries of nature as they navigate a way to survive, thrive and conquer those deeply profound natural laws.
If we think that we can achieve "perfection" in a universe that is not fully understood, the end result provokes a neurosis that permeates the environment like a bad smell. Thus, the beauty of the phrase, "The best is the enemy of the better."
It is not settling for less; rather it is the knowledge of our own limitations and an acceptance of that quality. In that very acknowledgement, the road becomes more smoothly paved towards "better and better."
Of course perfectly engineered bridges, highway overpasses, airplane engines and the like are important areas in which perfection is a virtue, but like most things in life, human error presents a caveat. Mostly, human beings are exploring the mysteries of nature as they navigate a way to survive, thrive and conquer those deeply profound natural laws.
If we think that we can achieve "perfection" in a universe that is not fully understood, the end result provokes a neurosis that permeates the environment like a bad smell. Thus, the beauty of the phrase, "The best is the enemy of the better."
It is not settling for less; rather it is the knowledge of our own limitations and an acceptance of that quality. In that very acknowledgement, the road becomes more smoothly paved towards "better and better."
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