“Practice makes perfect.”
-Unknown
We all are familiar with today’s quote. While origins of it are debatable, it’s generally believed that it first appeared in the English language in “The Diary and Autobiography of John Adams” around 1760.
Since then, then the quote has definitely had its share of 15 minutes of fame and gone on to cement its place in every list of famous quotes.
The intention behind it is still noble enough and will continue to be so. For any endeavor you want to conquer, practice is paramount no matter how good you become. The moment you become complacent is when things start stagnating.
Perhaps what SHOULD be modified is the actual terminology of the quote.
The word “perfection” should probably be retired from the quote.
We now understand that a concept like perfection can never exist.
Firstly, because perfection is largely subjective. What’s the perfect car to drive? What’s the perfect house to live in? What’s the perfect movie or book?
Ask these questions to multiple people and you’ll get multiple opinions.
Secondly, should perfection really exist, society would never grow and evolve as no one would strive to aim higher. As mentioned earlier in this post, that kind of complacency is the first step towards a deterioration of any endeavor.
Since the inception of time, the world has only involved when certain people were not satisfied with the status quo and in most cases, challenged it and dared themselves to do better.
Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes for improvement. And room for improvement is boundless.
Nobody can be perfect. But we can all get better in any endeavor we choose so as long as we strive for it and keep our desire and hunger for it alive.
How do you feel about today’s quote? Do you agree or disagree with argument made of perfection? Why or why not? Share your thoughts and experiences by commenting below on our secure servers.