--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why do everything perfectly? Isn't…" description: "\"Why do everything perfectly? Isn't perfection just an illusion? Tell me if it's an illusion if they don't fix your car perfectly next time you bring it..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/frederick-lenz-8_buddhism_why-do-everything-perfectly-isn-t-perfec_403749.jpg" --- # Why do everything perfectly? Isn't perfection just an… ![“Why do everything perfectly? Isn't perfection just an illusion? Tell me if it's an illusion if they don't fix your car perfectly next time you bring it in.” quote by Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/frederick-lenz-8_buddhism_why-do-everything-perfectly-isn-t-perfec_403749.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/frederick-lenz-8_buddhism_why-do-everything-perfectly-isn-t-perfec_403749.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/frederick-lenz-8_buddhism_why-do-everything-perfectly-isn-t-perfec_403749.jpg) > “Why do everything perfectly? Isn't perfection just an illusion? Tell me if it's an illusion if they don't fix your car perfectly next time you bring it in.” [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Perfection is unattainable; striving for it can cause frustration. **In simple terms:** Perfection is an illusion. Key Takeaway Accept imperfection. Themes imperfection expectations reality Mood thoughtful calm Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - work projects - relationships - car repairs - creative work Key Concepts Philosophy of self acceptance Questions to Reflect On - When did you let go of perfection? - How does imperfection foster growth? A Different Perspective Obsessing over flaws can hinder progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Buddhism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) [Car](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/car/) [Car Perfectly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/car-perfectly-3614797/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Illusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusion/) [Isn Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isn-perfection-3614796/) [Mindfulness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mindfulness/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) [Next time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-time/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [Perfectly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfectly/) ## Related quotes > [Advanced meditators are not even desirous of liberation anymore - that is just another attachment. There is no liberation. There is no bondage. These…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/advanced-meditators-are-not-even-desirous-of-liberation-anymore-that/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Winning has to do with gaining personal power through the practice of meditation and mindfulness; not draining your energy on ridiculous things and people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/winning-has-to-do-with-gaining-personal-power-through-the-practice-of/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Think about what is in front of you, if you must think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/think-about-what-is-in-front-of-you-if-you-must-think/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Mindfulness is when you are engaged in activities but the mind is set into the meditative state all the time. Meditation is to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/mindfulness-is-when-you-are-engaged-in-activities-but-the-mind-is-set/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [When you do something half-heartedly, you don't get much of a result. When you do it fully, you get a great result.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/when-you-do-something-half-heartedly-you-don-t-get-much-of-a-result/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [When you are just thinking a lot of silly thoughts and having a lot of worries, you waste a tremendous energy and power and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/when-you-are-just-thinking-a-lot-of-silly-thoughts-and-having-a-lot/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Every time you find yourself becoming angry, jealous or frustrated, stop and think the opposite thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/every-time-you-find-yourself-becoming-angry-jealous-or-frustrated/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Part of what we seek in Buddhism is the sense of quiet observation. We don't get so involved in a state of mind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/part-of-what-we-seek-in-buddhism-is-the-sense-of-quiet-observation-we/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [In Zen you practice zazen, mindfulness and other forms of introspection to find out who you are and what you want, to balance your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/in-zen-you-practice-zazen-mindfulness-and-other-forms-of/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Whenever you find yourself becoming angry or jealous, try to see good quality in the person. You will suddenly be thinking a higher thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/whenever-you-find-yourself-becoming-angry-or-jealous-try-to-see-good/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Power either goes up or down. Your thoughts are the harness of power. It is necessary to think positive thoughts, not just wait for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/power-either-goes-up-or-down-your-thoughts-are-the-harness-of-power/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [In every situation, feel before acting, just for a second. Look for a feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/in-every-situation-feel-before-acting-just-for-a-second-look-for-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [When we practice mindfulness, our nonphysical side merges with the nonphysical side of that which we are experiencing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/when-we-practice-mindfulness-our-nonphysical-side-merges-with-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Gain control of the mind and make it still, initially just during periods of meditation, but then throughout the day and throughout the night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/gain-control-of-the-mind-and-make-it-still-initially-just-during/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Our actions and experiences will direct us. In other words, we will be guided by the inherent emptiness of the things we choose to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/our-actions-and-experiences-will-direct-us-in-other-words-we-will-be/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) ## More by Frederick Lenz > [There are places that are very draining. There are places where there is another dimensional crossover but to a dimension that is not powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-are-places-that-are-very-draining-there-are-places-where-there/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [You can draw power from everything in your life. In order to do that, everything has to be set up in a proper way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-can-draw-power-from-everything-in-your-life-in-order-to-do-that/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Everyone will admire you when you do well. What a horrible thing to do to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-will-admire-you-when-you-do-well-what-a-horrible-thing-to-do/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Nirvana is a word that means enlightenment, being beyond the illusion of birth and death, the illusion of pain, the illusion of love, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/nirvana-is-a-word-that-means-enlightenment-being-beyond-the-illusion/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I think the most miraculous thing is learning. I get out of the way and let the students learn. Then you get to watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-think-the-most-miraculous-thing-is-learning-i-get-out-of-the-way/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [A human being can only absorb a small amount of the mystical kundalini, you can be exposed again and again to it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-human-being-can-only-absorb-a-small-amount-of-the-mystical/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Only alone can you go into eternity. Only alone can you feel the transcendental light. It is not a shared experience because if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/only-alone-can-you-go-into-eternity-only-alone-can-you-feel-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The sound man, immune as to a sacrifice of straw dogs, faces the passing human generations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-sound-man-immune-as-to-a-sacrifice-of-straw-dogs-faces-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Karma means changing planes of reality or changing fields of attention. There will be perhaps a resulting physical action stemming from the change of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/karma-means-changing-planes-of-reality-or-changing-fields-of/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [You and I are both life. There's just the experience of every moment. We like to call them moments. There isn't really such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-and-i-are-both-life-there-s-just-the-experience-of-every-moment/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Why waste your time being around people who drag you down? You don't live forever, at least in this life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/why-waste-your-time-being-around-people-who-drag-you-down-you-don-t/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Everybody here is so caught up in the game of life they don't see death. They don't see beyond their deaths. They are on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everybody-here-is-so-caught-up-in-the-game-of-life-they-don-t-see/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) [Explore all 4,399 Frederick Lenz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) ## More Buddhism quotes > [There are places that are very draining. There are places where there is another dimensional crossover but to a dimension that is not powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-are-places-that-are-very-draining-there-are-places-where-there/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Enlightenment is lightening up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-myers/enlightenment-is-lightening-up/) [Mike Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-myers/) > [The very best players, when they are practicing, put everything they've got into it. But then they leave it for a while. And it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/the-very-best-players-when-they-are-practicing-put-everything-they-ve/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [Everyone will admire you when you do well. What a horrible thing to do to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-will-admire-you-when-you-do-well-what-a-horrible-thing-to-do/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Nirvana is a word that means enlightenment, being beyond the illusion of birth and death, the illusion of pain, the illusion of love, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/nirvana-is-a-word-that-means-enlightenment-being-beyond-the-illusion/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I think the most miraculous thing is learning. I get out of the way and let the students learn. Then you get to watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-think-the-most-miraculous-thing-is-learning-i-get-out-of-the-way/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“Exactly. I think the original tantric Buddhists took notice of was some very wise old people who never studied in their youth, but took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-niemczura/exactly-i-think-the-original-tantric-buddhists-took-notice-of-was/) [Joe Niemczura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-niemczura/) > [A human being can only absorb a small amount of the mystical kundalini, you can be exposed again and again to it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-human-being-can-only-absorb-a-small-amount-of-the-mystical/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [My mom and my aunties are really devout Christians. My mom married a Muslim when I was 12, so I got teachings from both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tech-n9ne/my-mom-and-my-aunties-are-really-devout-christians-my-mom-married-a/) [Tech N9ne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tech-n9ne/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“The extraction of discrete parts of Chöd teachings from their broader philosophical contexts is symptomatic of how Chöd has been incorporated into and transmitted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-sorensen/the-extraction-of-discrete-parts-of-ch-d-teachings-from-their-broader/) [Michelle Sorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-sorensen/) > [Buddhism advises you not to implant feelings that you don’t really have or avoid feelings that you do have. 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