Perfect is The Enemy of Good

A Perfect is The Enemy of Good is an aphorism for the scenario where striving for perfection can be counterproductive.

• Context:
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • In Business Good Enough is good enough.
  • Not righting a Moral Wrong because the righting is not perfect, such as Reparations for Slavery.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Mathematical Proving Task (for mathematical proofs).
  • Structural Engineering Task (for high-rise engineering).
• See: Diminishing Returns, Pareto Principle, Perfection, Analysis Paralysis, Perfectionism (Psychology).

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References

2023

• (Wikipedia, 2023) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_is_the_enemy_of_good Retrieved:2023-9-3.
  • Perfect is the enemy of good is an aphorism which means insistence on perfection often prevents implementation of good improvements. The Pareto principle or 80–20 rule explains this numerically. For example, it commonly takes 20% of the full time to complete 80% of a task while to complete the last 20% of a task takes 80% of the effort. Achieving absolute perfection may be impossible and so, as increasing effort results in diminishing returns, further activity becomes increasingly inefficient.

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