--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we pretend to have reached either…" description: "\"If we pretend to have reached either perfection or satisfaction, we have degraded ourselves and our work. God's work only may express that, but ours ma..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/311/john-ruskin-314_excellence_if-we-pretend-to-have-reached-either-per_2992322.jpg" --- # If we pretend to have reached either perfection or… ![“If we pretend to have reached either perfection or satisfaction, we have degraded ourselves and our work. God's work only may express that, but ours may never have that sentence written upon it, Behold it was very good.” quote by John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/311/john-ruskin-314_excellence_if-we-pretend-to-have-reached-either-per_2992322.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/311/john-ruskin-314_excellence_if-we-pretend-to-have-reached-either-per_2992322.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/311/john-ruskin-314_excellence_if-we-pretend-to-have-reached-either-per_2992322.jpg) > “If we pretend to have reached either perfection or satisfaction, we have degraded ourselves and our work. God's work only may express that, but ours may never have that sentence written upon it, Behold it was very good.” [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Pretending perfection degrades us; only divine work may be flawless, urging humility and continual effort. **In simple terms:** Faking perfection harms us; strive for humility. Key Takeaway Accept imperfection and keep improving. Themes humility perfection work ethic Mood reflective philosophical Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - creative projects - professional development - spiritual practice - self‑assessment Key Concepts divine vs human effort self‑critique Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance humility with ambition? - What standards guide your work? A Different Perspective Perfectionism can drive excellence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behold Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behold-good-1925780/) [Excellence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellence/) [God Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-work/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [Perfection Satisfaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection-satisfaction-3731070/) [Satisfaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satisfaction/) [Satisfaction Degraded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satisfaction-degraded-4707845/) [Sentences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentences/) [Very good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very-good/) [Work God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-god/) [Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written/) ## Related quotes > [Perfectionism rarely begets perfection, or satisfaction - only disappointment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/perfectionism-rarely-begets-perfection-or-satisfaction-only/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-god-saw-everything-that-he-had-made-and-behold-it-was-very-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The meanest authors have at least this similarity with the great author of heaven and earth, that they usually say after a completed day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/the-meanest-authors-have-at-least-this-similarity-with-the-great/) [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) > [“God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-lusby/god-saw-everything-that-he-had-made-and-behold-it-was-very-good/) [G. Lusby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-lusby/) > [God's work done God's way will never lack God's supply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/god-s-work-done-god-s-way-will-never-lack-god-s-supply/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) > [Time spent in prayer will yield more than that given to work. Prayer alone gives work its worth and its success. Prayer opens the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/time-spent-in-prayer-will-yield-more-than-that-given-to-work-prayer/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [“You are the work of God, and His work is wholly lovable and wholly loving. This is how a man must think of himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foundation-for-inner-peace/you-are-the-work-of-god-and-his-work-is-wholly-lovable-and-wholly/) [Foundation for Inner Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foundation-for-inner-peace/) > [“Jn 6:281 do Fallen man’s concept concerning God is that he must do something for God and work for God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/living-stream-ministry/jn-6-281-do-fallen-man-s-concept-concerning-god-is-that-he-must-do/) [Living Stream Ministry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/living-stream-ministry/) > [Let us see that we keep God before our eyes; that we walk in His ways and seek to please and glorify Him in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/let-us-see-that-we-keep-god-before-our-eyes-that-we-walk-in-his-ways/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) > [It is impossible to get exhausted in work for God. We get exhausted because we try to do God's work in our own way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/it-is-impossible-to-get-exhausted-in-work-for-god-we-get-exhausted/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The whole life of a Christian should be nothing but praises and thanks to God; we should neither eat nor sleep, but eat to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-sibbes/the-whole-life-of-a-christian-should-be-nothing-but-praises-and/) [Richard Sibbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-sibbes/) > [“God's work done in God's way will never lack God's provision.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/god-s-work-done-in-god-s-way-will-never-lack-god-s-provision/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) > [Tremendous human energy is needed to walk God's walk, work God's work, fulfill God's will, and complete his dream for our self-esteem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-h-schuller/tremendous-human-energy-is-needed-to-walk-god-s-walk-work-god-s-work/) [Robert H. Schuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-h-schuller/) > [Our work for God is to flow from loving God; thus, we work with Him instead of for Him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-bickle/our-work-for-god-is-to-flow-from-loving-god-thus-we-work-with-him/) [Mike Bickle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-bickle/) > [“Worship the work not the God, because work is God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/worship-the-work-not-the-god-because-work-is-god/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) ## More by John Ruskin > [“Occult Theft,--Theft which hides itself even from itself, and is legal, respectable, and cowardly,--corrupts the body and soul of man, to the last fibre…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/occult-theft-theft-which-hides-itself-even-from-itself-and-is-legal/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Mighty of heart, mighty of mind, magnanimous-to be this is indeed to be great in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/mighty-of-heart-mighty-of-mind-magnanimous-to-be-this-is-indeed-to-be/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Life is a magic vase filled to the brim, so made that you cannot dip from it nor draw from it; but it overflows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/life-is-a-magic-vase-filled-to-the-brim-so-made-that-you-cannot-dip/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [As in the instances of alchemy, astrology, witchcraft, and other such popular creeds, political economy, has a plausible idea at the root of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/as-in-the-instances-of-alchemy-astrology-witchcraft-and-other-such/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [I am far more provoked at being thought foolish by foolish people, than pleased at being thought sensible by sensible people; and the average…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/i-am-far-more-provoked-at-being-thought-foolish-by-foolish-people/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [When we build ... let it not be for present delights nor for present use alone. 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The pursuit of excellence is commendable and worthwhile.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kulwicki/the-pursuit-of-perfection-is-frustrating-and-a-waste-of-time-because/) [Alan Kulwicki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kulwicki/) > [“But young men have not only this frivolous ambition of being thought masters of execution, inciting them on the one hand, but also their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-young-men-have-not-only-this-frivolous-ambition-of-being-thought/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Many humanists have argued that happiness involves a combination of hedonism and creative moral development; that an exuberant life fuses excellence and enjoyment, meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/many-humanists-have-argued-that-happiness-involves-a-combination-of/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [You learn a lot from quality players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marouane-fellaini/you-learn-a-lot-from-quality-players/) [Marouane Fellaini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marouane-fellaini/) > [Our civilization, bequeathed to us by fierce adventurers, eaters of meat and hunters, is so full of hurry and combat, so busy about many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/our-civilization-bequeathed-to-us-by-fierce-adventurers-eaters-of/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [“In your goals to go the extra mile, prepare to pay an extra cost. Excellence is to be exceptional, surpassing, more competent and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/in-your-goals-to-go-the-extra-mile-prepare-to-pay-an-extra-cost/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [We want to promote the great quality of athletics - and maintain it's integrity - all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-juantorena/we-want-to-promote-the-great-quality-of-athletics-and-maintain-it-s/) [Alberto Juantorena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-juantorena/) > [“Anytime I see a rainbow, what comes into my mind is how skillful and talented someone was to create an ark that didn't leak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/anytime-i-see-a-rainbow-what-comes-into-my-mind-is-how-skillful-and/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [If you are the master be sometimes blind, if you are the servant be sometimes deaf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/if-you-are-the-master-be-sometimes-blind-if-you-are-the-servant-be/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [We may be masters of our every lot By bearing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil/we-may-be-masters-of-our-every-lot-by-bearing-it/) [Virgil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil/) > [Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/quality-means-doing-it-right-when-no-one-is-looking/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [We cannot all be masters, nor all masters Cannot be truly followed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/we-cannot-all-be-masters-nor-all-masters-cannot-be-truly-followed/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Leadership, pure and simple, is the assumption of responsibility for the pursuit of excellence in group life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-selznick/leadership-pure-and-simple-is-the-assumption-of-responsibility-for/) [Philip Selznick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-selznick/) > [The basis of all excellence is truth: he that professes love ought to feel its power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-basis-of-all-excellence-is-truth-he-that-professes-love-ought-to/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Browse all 4,187 Excellence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If we pretend to have reached either perfection or satisfaction, we have degraded ourselves and our work. 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