--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you look for perfection, you'll never…" description: "\"If you look for perfection, you'll never be content.\" — Leo Tolstoy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e3/leo-tolstoy-55_content_if-you-look-for-perfection-you-ll-never_1869999.png" --- # If you look for perfection, you'll never be content. ![“If you look for perfection, you'll never be content.” quote by Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e3/leo-tolstoy-55_content_if-you-look-for-perfection-you-ll-never_1869999.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e3/leo-tolstoy-55_content_if-you-look-for-perfection-you-ll-never_1869999.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e3/leo-tolstoy-55_content_if-you-look-for-perfection-you-ll-never_1869999.png) > “If you look for perfection, you'll never be content.” [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Chasing flawless standards prevents satisfaction; embrace imperfection. **In simple terms:** Perfectionism blocks contentment. Key Takeaway Accept flaws to find peace. Themes contentment imperfection expectations Mood thoughtful calm Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - creative work - relationships - personal goals - parenting Key Concepts psychology philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What imperfections can you celebrate? - How does striving for perfection affect your happiness? A Different Perspective Perfection can drive excellence; balance is key. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Excellence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellence/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) ## Related quotes > [Well, if you're talking about perfection, I'll show you the image of my backside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/onew/well-if-you-re-talking-about-perfection-i-ll-show-you-the-image-of-my/) [Onew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/onew/) > [“Life is too short to look for perfection.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-t-geissinger/life-is-too-short-to-look-for-perfection/) [J.T. Geissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-t-geissinger/) > [Don't expect me to be perfect. Despite all my lives, I'm still only human. I can't deliver perfection, and I'll only disappoint you. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-miller/don-t-expect-me-to-be-perfect-despite-all-my-lives-i-m-still-only/) [Kirsten Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-miller/) > [Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/have-no-fear-of-perfection-you-ll-never-reach-it/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [“You'll never reach perfection because there's always room for improvement. Yet get along the way to perfection, you'll learn to get better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hlovate/you-ll-never-reach-perfection-because-there-s-always-room-for/) Hlovate > [Don't look for perfection in everything you do. Strive for excellence, because in that way, you won't be disappointed in yourself if things don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-look-for-perfection-in-everything-you-do-strive-for-excellence/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If you look for perfection, you will never be satisfied.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/if-you-look-for-perfection-you-will-never-be-satisfied/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [When you go to a show, Americans in New York are very proper, much more so than the French. Everything is perfect. Their hair,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carine-roitfeld/when-you-go-to-a-show-americans-in-new-york-are-very-proper-much-more/) [Carine Roitfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carine-roitfeld/) > [It is absurd to look for perfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-pissarro/it-is-absurd-to-look-for-perfection/) [Camille Pissarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-pissarro/) > [“Never look for perfection, You will Never get it, but consistent trying will always bring you closer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nitish-sharma/never-look-for-perfection-you-will-never-get-it-but-consistent-trying/) Nitish Sharma > [In the eyes of those lovers of perfection, a work is never finished a word that for them has no sense but abandoned; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/in-the-eyes-of-those-lovers-of-perfection-a-work-is-never-finished-a/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [“Seek excellence not perfection, that alone is a perfect choice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-chirisa/seek-excellence-not-perfection-that-alone-is-a-perfect-choice/) [Wayne Chirisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-chirisa/) > [Happiness consists in always aspiring perfection, the pause in any level in perfection is the pause of happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happiness-consists-in-always-aspiring-perfection-the-pause-in-any/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The pursuit of perfection is frustrating and a waste of time, because nothing is ever perfect. 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/) > [Imperfections are what make you perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-tell/imperfections-are-what-make-you-perfect/) [Nia Tellé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-tell/) ## More by Leo Tolstoy > [These joys were so trifling as to be as imperceptible as grains of gold among the sand, and in moments of depression she saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/these-joys-were-so-trifling-as-to-be-as-imperceptible-as-grains-of/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [The only significance of life consists in helping to establish the kingdom of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-only-significance-of-life-consists-in-helping-to-establish-the/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“I already love in you your beauty, but I am only beginning to love in you that which is eternal and ever precious –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-already-love-in-you-your-beauty-but-i-am-only-beginning-to-love-in/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Energy rests upon love; and come as it will, there's no forcing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/energy-rests-upon-love-and-come-as-it-will-there-s-no-forcing-it/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“If you only knew what those society women are, and women in general! My father is right. 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She was standing talking to a lady at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/he-knew-she-was-there-by-the-rapture-and-the-terror-that-seized-on/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Rest, nature, books, music...such is my idea of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/rest-nature-books-music-such-is-my-idea-of-happiness/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“He was not to blame for being born with an irrepressible charachter and a mind some how constrained.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/he-was-not-to-blame-for-being-born-with-an-irrepressible-charachter/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [I ask one thing only: I ask for the right to hope, to suffer as I do. 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Nobody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/who-is-rich-he-that-is-content-who-is-that-nobody/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [In the very beginning, Yelp started as a service where we really didn't think people would write reviews for fun. The whole concept of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/in-the-very-beginning-yelp-started-as-a-service-where-we-really-didn/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [Most of us are not content with our lot because we want a lot more](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianette-carbito/most-of-us-are-not-content-with-our-lot-because-we-want-a-lot-more/) [Marianette Carbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianette-carbito/) > [Ambition devours gold and drinks blood and climbs so high by other men's heads, that at the length in the fall, it breaks its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-wentworth-1st-earl-of-strafford/ambition-devours-gold-and-drinks-blood-and-climbs-so-high-by-other/) Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford > [Style is important, but content comes first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-j-kilpatrick/style-is-important-but-content-comes-first/) [James J. Kilpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-j-kilpatrick/) > [Travelers must be content.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/travelers-must-be-content/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Those who are content have enough; those that complain, have too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/those-who-are-content-have-enough-those-that-complain-have-too-much/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Our content Is our best having.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/our-content-is-our-best-having/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [No one is content with his own lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/no-one-is-content-with-his-own-lot/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [I don't wanna say I'm growing up, but I definitely feel content.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-mcnamara/i-don-t-wanna-say-i-m-growing-up-but-i-definitely-feel-content/) [Garrett McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-mcnamara/) > [Chinnadana Nee Kosam' is a very good romantic entertainer. Compared to my previous films, the emotional content in this film is strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nithiin/chinnadana-nee-kosam-is-a-very-good-romantic-entertainer-compared-to/) [Nithiin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nithiin/) > [I'm transitioning to television and film, but ultimately, I want to have a stronger presence on the web and be able to curate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issa-rae/i-m-transitioning-to-television-and-film-but-ultimately-i-want-to/) [Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/) Browse all 865 Content quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you look for perfection, you'll never be content.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leo Tolstoy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/if-you-look-for-perfection-you-ll-never-be-content/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Content" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/if-you-look-for-perfection-you-ll-never-be-content/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e3/leo-tolstoy-55_content_if-you-look-for-perfection-you-ll-never_1869999.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e3/leo-tolstoy-55_content_if-you-look-for-perfection-you-ll-never_1869999.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e3/leo-tolstoy-55_content_if-you-look-for-perfection-you-ll-never_1869999.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you look for perfection, you'll never be content.” — Leo Tolstoy", "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": "Leo Tolstoy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you look for perfection, you'll...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/if-you-look-for-perfection-you-ll-never-be-content/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/if-you-look-for-perfection-you-ll-never-be-content/#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 } } ] } ```