--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man would do nothing if he waited until…" description: "\"A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault.\" — John Henry Newman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/278/john-henry-newman-2366_fault_a-man-would-do-nothing-if-he-waited-unti_2269033.jpg" --- # A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it… ![“A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault.” quote by John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/278/john-henry-newman-2366_fault_a-man-would-do-nothing-if-he-waited-unti_2269033.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/278/john-henry-newman-2366_fault_a-man-would-do-nothing-if-he-waited-unti_2269033.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/278/john-henry-newman-2366_fault_a-man-would-do-nothing-if-he-waited-unti_2269033.jpg) > “A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault.” [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Perfectionism can lead to inaction; waiting for flawless execution prevents progress. **In simple terms:** Waiting for perfection stops you from doing anything. Key Takeaway Embrace imperfect action. Themes perfectionism action growth Mood encouraging realistic Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - creative work - skill development - entrepreneurship - learning new hobbies Key Concepts self‑efficacy risk‑taking Questions to Reflect On - What task are you delaying for perfection? - How can you accept mistakes as learning? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on flawlessness can cause missed opportunities and stagnation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [A man would do nothing, if he waited until he could do it so well that no one would find fault with what he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/a-man-would-do-nothing-if-he-waited-until-he-could-do-it-so-well-that-2/) Senoraroy > [Nothing would be done at all if one waited until one could do it so well that no one could find fault with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/nothing-would-be-done-at-all-if-one-waited-until-one-could-do-it-so/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [It was the kiss of a man who had waited years for the moment, and feared that it would never come again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jana-oliver/it-was-the-kiss-of-a-man-who-had-waited-years-for-the-moment-and/) [Jana Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jana-oliver/) > [“She hadn’t understood what made her wait, but tonight it was very clear to her. It was for this man she’d waited her entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-gold/she-hadn-t-understood-what-made-her-wait-but-tonight-it-was-very/) [Sasha Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-gold/) > [“He listened with the mild demeanour of a man who had waited eight years for his town council to draw up a specification for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-davis/he-listened-with-the-mild-demeanour-of-a-man-who-had-waited-eight/) [Lindsey Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-davis/) > [It's intoxicating for a man to be waited on. Combine this with very, very skillful sex, and that will get them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lilly/it-s-intoxicating-for-a-man-to-be-waited-on-combine-this-with-very/) Doris Lilly > [“She did not come to him, however. She has never come to me, he tough. She has always waited, letting me come to her.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/she-did-not-come-to-him-however-she-has-never-come-to-me-he-tough-she/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“No one, she had learned from experience, could stand such silence for long. If you waited long enough, someone would start talking, and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/no-one-she-had-learned-from-experience-could-stand-such-silence-for/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [I curse myself for not grabbing the right time for the thing I waited my whole life!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/habeebah-kanoorbee/i-curse-myself-for-not-grabbing-the-right-time-for-the-thing-i-waited/) [Habeebah(Kanoorbee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/habeebah-kanoorbee/) > [“I will always need you," I whisper. "All of this time I've waited for you. And you were never coming for me. Why did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-ryan/i-will-always-need-you-i-whisper-all-of-this-time-i-ve-waited-for-you/) [Carrie Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-ryan/) > [One day One day I waited for myself I said to myself Guillaume it's time you came So I could know just who I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillaume-apollinaire/one-day-one-day-i-waited-for-myself-i-said-to-myself-guillaume-it-s/) [Guillaume Apollinaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillaume-apollinaire/) > [Please God, please suh, don't let him love nobody else but me. Maybe Ah'm is uh fool, Lawd, lak dey say, but Lawd, Ah…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/please-god-please-suh-don-t-let-him-love-nobody-else-but-me-maybe-ah/) [Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/) > [She waited for you in a thousand different ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/she-waited-for-you-in-a-thousand-different-ways/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [“He didn't touch me. He could have—he had the perfect reason to—but he didn't. Instead he bent to collect my papers before the breeze…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lane/he-didn-t-touch-me-he-could-have-he-had-the-perfect-reason-to-but-he/) [Nina Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lane/) > [She smiled, if he could see that, and waited for him to ask the real question. But he was silent. He wanted her to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-shinn/she-smiled-if-he-could-see-that-and-waited-for-him-to-ask-the-real/) [Sharon Shinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-shinn/) ## More by John Henry Newman > [Fear not that thy life shall come to an end, but rather that it shall ever have a beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/fear-not-that-thy-life-shall-come-to-an-end-but-rather-that-it-shall/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [It is not God's way that great blessings should descend without the sacrifice first of great sufferings. If the truth is to be spread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/it-is-not-god-s-way-that-great-blessings-should-descend-without-the/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [By a garden is meant mystically a place of spiritual repose, stillness, peace, refreshment, delight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/by-a-garden-is-meant-mystically-a-place-of-spiritual-repose-stillness/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [Fear not that thy life shall come to an end, but rather fear that it shall never have a beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/fear-not-that-thy-life-shall-come-to-an-end-but-rather-fear-that-it/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [“The minds of young people are pliable and elastic, and easily accommodate themselves to any one they fall in with.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/the-minds-of-young-people-are-pliable-and-elastic-and-easily/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [The love of our private friends is the only preparatory exercise for the love of all men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/the-love-of-our-private-friends-is-the-only-preparatory-exercise-for/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [A universityeducates the intellect to reason well in all matters, to reach out towards truth, and to grasp it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/a-universityeducates-the-intellect-to-reason-well-in-all-matters-to/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [Nothing would be done at all if one waited until one could do it so well that no one could find fault with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/nothing-would-be-done-at-all-if-one-waited-until-one-could-do-it-so/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [Christ is already in that place of peace, which is all in all. He is on the right hand of God. He is hidden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/christ-is-already-in-that-place-of-peace-which-is-all-in-all-he-is-on/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [Growth is the only evidence of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/growth-is-the-only-evidence-of-life/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [“Mr Kingsley begins then by exclaiming- 'O the chicanery, the wholesale fraud, the vile hypocrisy, the conscience-killing tyranny of Rome! We have not far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/mr-kingsley-begins-then-by-exclaiming-o-the-chicanery-the-wholesale/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [There is in stillness oft a magic power To calm the breast when struggling passions lower, Touched by its influence, in the soul arise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/there-is-in-stillness-oft-a-magic-power-to-calm-the-breast-when/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [Dear Lord...shine through me, and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Your presence in my soul...Let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/dear-lord-shine-through-me-and-be-so-in-me-that-every-soul-i-come-in/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [It is almost a definition of a gentleman to say that he is one who never inflicts pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/it-is-almost-a-definition-of-a-gentleman-to-say-that-he-is-one-who/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [To be deep in history, is to cease to be Protestant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/to-be-deep-in-history-is-to-cease-to-be-protestant/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) [Explore all 168 John Henry Newman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) ## More Fault quotes > [As people who know me know, probably to a fault, I am usually not without thoughts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-rhodes/as-people-who-know-me-know-probably-to-a-fault-i-am-usually-not/) [Ben Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-rhodes/) > [“It's my fault. I am forgetting too much.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/it-s-my-fault-i-am-forgetting-too-much/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Sometimes I feel that my message has not been clearly heard. But that is not my fault because I feel like too much is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadia-murad/sometimes-i-feel-that-my-message-has-not-been-clearly-heard-but-that/) [Nadia Murad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadia-murad/) > [I don't blame anyone .. I did this to myself .. It's my fault .. Everything is my FAULT ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nurnizz95/i-don-t-blame-anyone-i-did-this-to-myself-it-s-my-fault-everything-is/) Nurnizz95 > [I've been in 30 car crashes, none of 'em my fault, I swear on a stack of midgets... OK, they were probably all my fault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-piper/i-ve-been-in-30-car-crashes-none-of-em-my-fault-i-swear-on-a-stack-of/) [Roddy Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-piper/) > [Many persons have been confused and discouraged at the very outset of the study by the great variety and the delicate distinctions of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-staunton/many-persons-have-been-confused-and-discouraged-at-the-very-outset-of/) [Howard Staunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-staunton/) > [The real fault is to have faults and not amend them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-real-fault-is-to-have-faults-and-not-amend-them/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [“When a comm builds atop a fault line, do you blame its walls when they inevitably crush the people inside? No; you blame whoever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/when-a-comm-builds-atop-a-fault-line-do-you-blame-its-walls-when-they/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [We may not like our times or many aspects of the time we live in but that is not the fault of art as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elliott/we-may-not-like-our-times-or-many-aspects-of-the-time-we-live-in-but/) [David Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elliott/) > [My biggest fault is that I give people too much credit. Then they let you down. I'm 99.9 per cent perfect - that's how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-brown/my-biggest-fault-is-that-i-give-people-too-much-credit-then-they-let/) [Ian Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-brown/) > [Love is a fault; so be it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/love-is-a-fault-so-be-it/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Not my fault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie/not-my-fault/) [Richie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie/) > [With Benghazi, I don't see anyone saying, 'Hey look, I am overall responsible for this and therefore, I take responsibility for what happened. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocko-willink/with-benghazi-i-don-t-see-anyone-saying-hey-look-i-am-overall/) [Jocko Willink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocko-willink/) > [Don't find the fault, find the remedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/don-t-find-the-fault-find-the-remedy/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [“Brandt certainly didn’t see what the big deal was. Things caught fire; it wasn’t always Brandt’s fault.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-roux/brandt-certainly-didn-t-see-what-the-big-deal-was-things-caught-fire/) [Abigail Roux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-roux/) Browse all 784 Fault quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Henry Newman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/a-man-would-do-nothing-if-he-waited-until-he-could-do-it-so-well-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fault" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/a-man-would-do-nothing-if-he-waited-until-he-could-do-it-so-well-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/278/john-henry-newman-2366_fault_a-man-would-do-nothing-if-he-waited-unti_2269033.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/278/john-henry-newman-2366_fault_a-man-would-do-nothing-if-he-waited-unti_2269033.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/278/john-henry-newman-2366_fault_a-man-would-do-nothing-if-he-waited-unti_2269033.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault.” — John Henry Newman", "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": "John Henry Newman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A man would do nothing if...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/a-man-would-do-nothing-if-he-waited-until-he-could-do-it-so-well-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/a-man-would-do-nothing-if-he-waited-until-he-could-do-it-so-well-that/#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 } } ] } ```