This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.
The Danger of Aiming for Perfection
Everyone on the left side of the classroom, he explained, would be in the “quantity” group. They would be graded solely on the amount of work they produced. On the final day of class, he would tally the number of photos submitted by each student. One hundred photos would rate an A, ninety photos a B, eighty photos a C, and so on.
Meanwhile, everyone on the right side of the room would be in the “quality” group. They would be graded only on the excellence of their work. They would only need to produce one the semester, but to get an A, it had to be a nearly perfect image.
At the end of the term, he was surprised to find that all the best photos were produced by the quantity group. During the semester, these students were busy taking photos, experimenting with composition and lighting, testing out various methods in the darkroom, and learning from their mistakes. In the process of creating hundreds of photos, they honed their skills. Meanwhile, the quality group sat around speculating about perfection. In the end, they had little to show for their efforts other than unverified theories and one mediocre photo.
It is easy to get bogged down trying to find the optimal plan for change: the fastest way to lose weight, the best program to build muscle, the perfect idea for a side hustle. We are so focused on figuring out the best approach that we never get around to taking action. As Voltaire once wrote, “The best is the enemy of the good.”
Excerpt From: Atomic Habits, James Clear
The Interpretation
There is a great debate amongst writers: Some believe quality trumps quantity. Others believe the opposite.
I believe that the more writing you produce, the more your writing quality improves; the laws of nature claim it has to be this way.
When you’re focused on perfection, you can lose elements of creativity and inspiration. When you focus on quantity, you experiment more, explore more ideas, and explore more writing methods. You also make more mistakes. The more mistakes you make, the more you can improve.
The good thing about prioritizing quantity over quality is that the more articles you produce, the more the quality of the articles you’re whipping out will increase.
When you focus on quality, you improve at a slower rate and produce less work.
So the choice is up to you; what’s more important: perfection or consistent improvement? For writers and other artists, we need to prioritize consistency and quantity if we want to tap into our limitless potential.
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.