Comments on: Perfectionism is Fatal http://www.elilopian.com/2009/03/11/perfectionism-is-fatal/ Creating better software Mon, 02 Jan 2012 09:09:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Eli Lopian http://www.elilopian.com/2009/03/11/perfectionism-is-fatal/comment-page-1/#comment-33229 Eli Lopian Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:26:36 +0000 http://www.elilopian.com/2009/03/11/perfectionism-is-fatal/#comment-33229 Travis, What you are describing is what we call Excellence. This comes from learning, leaving your comfort zone and courage. Are you talking about sloppiness? If so you are right, there is no excuse for sloppiness, but the opposite of perfectionism is not sloppiness, both lead to unfinished, unprofessional products. It is striving for excellence that leads to doing, learning and becoming better. Sloppiness is easy to find but perfectionism is more subtle and so it is easier to fall into that pit. Travis,
What you are describing is what we call Excellence. This comes from learning, leaving your comfort zone and courage.
Are you talking about sloppiness?
If so you are right, there is no excuse for sloppiness, but the opposite of perfectionism is not sloppiness, both lead to unfinished, unprofessional products. It is striving for excellence that leads to doing, learning and becoming better.

Sloppiness is easy to find but perfectionism is more subtle and so it is easier to fall into that pit.

]]> By: Travis Illig http://www.elilopian.com/2009/03/11/perfectionism-is-fatal/comment-page-1/#comment-33226 Travis Illig Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:55:59 +0000 http://www.elilopian.com/2009/03/11/perfectionism-is-fatal/#comment-33226 I think it's important to strive for perfection, even though you may not achieve it. Too often do I see folks read just the headline on topics like this and interpret it to mean, "I don't have to try anymore because we can always fix it later." Mistakes will most certainly be made, and they most certainly have to be learned from and fixed... but it doesn't mean you don't have to try not to make them in the first place. The closure on the "learning from mistakes" portion of this is to not repeat mistakes you've learned from. I think it’s important to strive for perfection, even though you may not achieve it. Too often do I see folks read just the headline on topics like this and interpret it to mean, “I don’t have to try anymore because we can always fix it later.”

Mistakes will most certainly be made, and they most certainly have to be learned from and fixed… but it doesn’t mean you don’t have to try not to make them in the first place. The closure on the “learning from mistakes” portion of this is to not repeat mistakes you’ve learned from.

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