I defined excellence in narrow, practical terms
Page 164 I defined excellence in narrow, practical terms; it meant 100% on everything no mistakes.
— from The Relationship With Yourself (Traits/Reflection) · What it Takes, Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence
In the book
Its favorite disguise is perfectionism, and the worst thing perfectionism does is not make you fail — it stops you from trying. There are a thousand people who never attempted the thing they might have been good at, because they did not believe they would be good enough. If you define excellence as one hundred percent, no mistakes, you have set a standard that only guarantees misery. Better to keep Voltaire's warning close: do not let the perfect become the enemy of the good. — The Relationship With Yourself (Traits/Reflection)