perfect is the enemy of good

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Variant of the older the best is the enemy of the good, popularized by Voltaire in French as le mieux est l’ennemi du bien,[1] itself a translation of the Italian proverb il meglio è nemico del bene.[2]

Proverb

perfect is the enemy of good

  1. Insistence on perfection often precludes the opportunity for something worthwhile.
  2. Insistence on perfection precludes gradual improvement through compromises.

Derived terms

See also

References
  1. Voltaire (1772) “La Bégueule [The Prissy]”, in Contes en vers (in French): “Dans ses écrits un sage Italien / Dit que le mieux est l’ennemi du bien”
  2. Voltaire (1764) “Art dramatique”, in Dictionnaire philosophique (in French), published 1878: “C’est bien ici qu’on peut dire : Il meglio è l’inimico del bene”

Further reading
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.