--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's no such thing as perfect writing…" description: "\"There's no such thing as perfect writing, just like there's no such thing as perfect despair.\" — Haruki Murakami" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/haruki-murakami-21_despair_there-s-no-such-thing-as-perfect-writing_2420094.jpg" --- # There's no such thing as perfect writing, just like… ![“There's no such thing as perfect writing, just like there's no such thing as perfect despair.” quote by Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/haruki-murakami-21_despair_there-s-no-such-thing-as-perfect-writing_2420094.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/haruki-murakami-21_despair_there-s-no-such-thing-as-perfect-writing_2420094.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/haruki-murakami-21_despair_there-s-no-such-thing-as-perfect-writing_2420094.jpg) > “There's no such thing as perfect writing, just like there's no such thing as perfect despair.” [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing and despair are both imperfect; seeking perfection in them is futile. **In simple terms:** Perfect writing and perfect despair don’t exist. Key Takeaway Accept imperfection in creative and emotional work. Themes imperfection creativity emotion philosophy acceptance Mood reflective philosophical Type inspirational literary When to use this quote - writing - dealing with sadness - artistic expression - mental health Key Concepts Literature existentialism creative process Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle imperfect outcomes? - Can embracing flaws improve creativity? A Different Perspective Perfectionist standards can hinder progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) [Insightful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insightful/) [Perfect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect/) [Perfect Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect-despair-5481186/) [Perfect Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect-writing-6036892/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-just/) ## Related quotes > [It's important to note that there's no such thing as perfect happiness, just as there's no such thing as perfect despair. This is why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-rai/it-s-important-to-note-that-there-s-no-such-thing-as-perfect/) [Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) > [“How…will I ever truly depict you? You’re perfect, my writing isn’t.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanober-khan/how-will-i-ever-truly-depict-you-you-re-perfect-my-writing-isn-t/) [Sanober Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanober-khan/) > [A short story I have written long ago would barge into my house in the middle of the night, shake me awake and shout,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/a-short-story-i-have-written-long-ago-would-barge-into-my-house-in/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“No joy, no communion, no love. Only where there is disillusionment and depression and sorrow does happiness arise; without the despair of loss, there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/no-joy-no-communion-no-love-only-where-there-is-disillusionment-and/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Only where there is disillusionment and depression and sorrow does happiness arise; without the despair of loss, there is no hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/only-where-there-is-disillusionment-and-depression-and-sorrow-does/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Think it over carefully. This is very important," I say, "because to believe something, whatever it might be, is the doing of the mind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/think-it-over-carefully-this-is-very-important-i-say-because-to/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The saddest thing in the world was that human beings, for all their ardent striving and desire, could never achieve physical, emotional, or intellectual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/the-saddest-thing-in-the-world-was-that-human-beings-for-all-their/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [In this world, perfection is an illusion. Reagrdless of all those who utter the contrary, this is the reality. Obviously mediocre fools will forever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tite-kubo/in-this-world-perfection-is-an-illusion-reagrdless-of-all-those-who/) [Tite Kubo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tite-kubo/) > [I learned through my body and soul that it was necessary to sin, that I needed lust, that I had to strive for property…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/i-learned-through-my-body-and-soul-that-it-was-necessary-to-sin-that/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [All I'm writing is just what I feel, that's all. I just keep it almost naked. And probably the words are so bland.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimi-hendrix/all-i-m-writing-is-just-what-i-feel-that-s-all-i-just-keep-it-almost/) [Jimi Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimi-hendrix/) > [Writing is not just a job. It helps me to pray. It's a way of being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/writing-is-not-just-a-job-it-helps-me-to-pray-it-s-a-way-of-being/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [When I'm writing, I am just doing what feels right for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-mercurio/when-i-m-writing-i-am-just-doing-what-feels-right-for-me/) [Jed Mercurio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mercurio/) > [Writing is just having a sheet of paper, a pen and not a shadow of an idea of what you are going to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/writing-is-just-having-a-sheet-of-paper-a-pen-and-not-a-shadow-of-an/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [I've found it really hard to finish writing songs when you're writing on not just your schedule but somebody else's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-carmack/i-ve-found-it-really-hard-to-finish-writing-songs-when-you-re-writing/) [Chris Carmack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-carmack/) > [It's so easy, as a writer, to get stuck in your own head, to live in the little worlds you create. To forget that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/it-s-so-easy-as-a-writer-to-get-stuck-in-your-own-head-to-live-in-the/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) ## More by Haruki Murakami > [I always feel like I'm struggling to become someone else. Like I'm trying to find a new place, grab hold of a new life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-always-feel-like-i-m-struggling-to-become-someone-else-like-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [If writing novels is like planting a forest, then writing short stories is more like planting a garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-writing-novels-is-like-planting-a-forest-then-writing-short/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“The sad truth is that what I could recall in five seconds all too soon needed ten, then thirty, thena full minute...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-sad-truth-is-that-what-i-could-recall-in-five-seconds-all-too/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Intelligent teenage girls were often instinctively theatrical, purposely eccentric, mouthing highly suggestive words to confuse people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/intelligent-teenage-girls-were-often-instinctively-theatrical/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Memory is like fiction; or else it's fiction that's like memory. This really came home to me once I started writing fiction, that memory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/memory-is-like-fiction-or-else-it-s-fiction-that-s-like-memory-this/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-most-dangerous-creature-here-would-have-to-be-me-so-maybe-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [If you listen to the radio for a whole hour there's maybe one decent song. The rest is mass-produced garbage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-you-listen-to-the-radio-for-a-whole-hour-there-s-maybe-one-decent/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“that one of our problems was our inability to recognize and accept our own deformities”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/that-one-of-our-problems-was-our-inability-to-recognize-and-accept/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“When I look back at myself at age twenty, what I remember most is being alone and lonely. I had no girlfriend to warm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-i-look-back-at-myself-at-age-twenty-what-i-remember-most-is/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-s-not-a-branch-of-publishing-or-broadcasting-that-doesn-t/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“One by one, I'll face the tasks before me and complete them as best I can. Focusing on each stride forward, but at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/one-by-one-i-ll-face-the-tasks-before-me-and-complete-them-as-best-i/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Eleven o'clock had come and gone. I had to find a way to bring this conversation to a successful conclusion and get out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/eleven-o-clock-had-come-and-gone-i-had-to-find-a-way-to-bring-this/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Some people get a kick out of reading railway timetables and that's all they do all day. Some people make huge model boats out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/some-people-get-a-kick-out-of-reading-railway-timetables-and-that-s/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“When the time comes, everybody’s got to end up where they belong. Only me, I didn’t have a place to call my own. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-the-time-comes-everybody-s-got-to-end-up-where-they-belong-only/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“You let something out of the bag before yourself knew what it was all about”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/you-let-something-out-of-the-bag-before-yourself-knew-what-it-was-all/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) [Explore all 2,928 Haruki Murakami quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## More Despair quotes > [“As ofttimes as it rains on my little spot of earth, you'd think I'd grow accustomed to the gloom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/as-ofttimes-as-it-rains-on-my-little-spot-of-earth-you-d-think-i-d/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [“She searched her mind for a single day when it had felt good to be alive. There must have been one, surely?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-abbott/she-searched-her-mind-for-a-single-day-when-it-had-felt-good-to-be/) [Rachel Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-abbott/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [Your spirit is the part of you that seeks meaning and purpose. It's the part drawn to hope, that will not give in to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-myss/your-spirit-is-the-part-of-you-that-seeks-meaning-and-purpose-it-s/) [Caroline Myss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-myss/) > [My God, whose son, as on this night, took on Him the form of man, and for man vouchsafed to suffer and bleed, controls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/my-god-whose-son-as-on-this-night-took-on-him-the-form-of-man-and-for/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [The modernist writers found despair inspirational.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/the-modernist-writers-found-despair-inspirational/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [The skin and shell of things Though fair are not Thy wish nor prayer but got My meer despair of wings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/the-skin-and-shell-of-things-though-fair-are-not-thy-wish-nor-prayer/) [Henry Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/) > [“A fine setting for a fit of despair,” it occurred to him, “if I were only standing here by accident instead of design.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/a-fine-setting-for-a-fit-of-despair-it-occurred-to-him-if-i-were-only/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [Enough for this bow & arrow. It caused me nothing but sorrow. No need for another tomorrow. In your heart, I will never be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louaiq8/enough-for-this-bow-arrow-it-caused-me-nothing-but-sorrow-no-need-for/) [Louaiq8](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louaiq8/) > [True repentance never leads to despair. Its leads home. It leads to grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/true-repentance-never-leads-to-despair-its-leads-home-it-leads-to/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Do not consider despair as a thick and high wall standing on your way; it is just a darkness and you can still walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/do-not-consider-despair-as-a-thick-and-high-wall-standing-on-your-way/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Despair is the price one pays for setting oneself an impossible aim. It is, one is told, the unforgivable sin, but it is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/despair-is-the-price-one-pays-for-setting-oneself-an-impossible-aim/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) > [A speculative despair is unpardonable where it our duty to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/a-speculative-despair-is-unpardonable-where-it-our-duty-to-act/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [I have noticed that there is no dissatisfaction like that of the rich. Feed a man, clothe him, put him in a good house,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-have-noticed-that-there-is-no-dissatisfaction-like-that-of-the-rich/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) [Browse all 3,181 Despair quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's no such thing as perfect writing, just like there's no such thing as perfect despair.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Haruki Murakami" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-s-no-such-thing-as-perfect-writing-just-like-there-s-no-such/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Despair" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-s-no-such-thing-as-perfect-writing-just-like-there-s-no-such/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/haruki-murakami-21_despair_there-s-no-such-thing-as-perfect-writing_2420094.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/haruki-murakami-21_despair_there-s-no-such-thing-as-perfect-writing_2420094.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/haruki-murakami-21_despair_there-s-no-such-thing-as-perfect-writing_2420094.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There's no such thing as perfect writing, just like there's no such thing as perfect despair.” — Haruki Murakami", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Haruki Murakami", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There's no such thing as perfect...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-s-no-such-thing-as-perfect-writing-just-like-there-s-no-such/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-s-no-such-thing-as-perfect-writing-just-like-there-s-no-such/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```