--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Perfection is such a nuisance that I…" description: "\"Perfection is such a nuisance that I often regret having cured myself of using tobacco.\" — Emile Zola" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/mile-zola-1188_nuisance_perfection-is-such-a-nuisance-that-i-oft_1917854.png" --- # Perfection is such a nuisance that I often regret having… ![“Perfection is such a nuisance that I often regret having cured myself of using tobacco.” quote by Emile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/mile-zola-1188_nuisance_perfection-is-such-a-nuisance-that-i-oft_1917854.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/mile-zola-1188_nuisance_perfection-is-such-a-nuisance-that-i-oft_1917854.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/mile-zola-1188_nuisance_perfection-is-such-a-nuisance-that-i-oft_1917854.png) > “Perfection is such a nuisance that I often regret having cured myself of using tobacco.” [Emile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker finds perfection bothersome, suggesting that striving for flawless behavior (like quitting tobacco) can feel like a loss of personal freedom. **In simple terms:** Perfection feels restrictive, even after quitting a bad habit. Key Takeaway Balance ambition with self‑acceptance. Themes perfection addiction freedom regret self‑control Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - health decisions - habit change - self‑critique Key Concepts philosophical conflict personal liberty Questions to Reflect On - Is striving for perfection always beneficial? - When does self‑discipline become a burden? A Different Perspective Perfection may cause unnecessary self‑criticism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Nuisance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuisance/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) ## Related quotes > [Don't regret having lost your money; maybe, if you kept it, it would have lost you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/don-t-regret-having-lost-your-money-maybe-if-you-kept-it-it-would/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [“I almost regret having to tell him this. No one should be confronted with the depths of darkness they're capable of all at once.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristin-terrill/i-almost-regret-having-to-tell-him-this-no-one-should-be-confronted/) [Cristin Terrill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristin-terrill/) > [I realized that, after tasting entrepreneurship, I had become unfit for the corporate world. There was no turning back. The only regret I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-wadhwa/i-realized-that-after-tasting-entrepreneurship-i-had-become-unfit-for/) [Vivek Wadhwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-wadhwa/) > [I wanted to project myself forward to age 80 and say, ‘OK, I’m looking back on my life. I want to minimise the number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/i-wanted-to-project-myself-forward-to-age-80-and-say-ok-i-m-looking/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [I don't regret having been fat at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gok-wan/i-don-t-regret-having-been-fat-at-all/) [Gok Wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gok-wan/) > [I regret not having more children. I would have loved to have had a bigger family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-walters/i-regret-not-having-more-children-i-would-have-loved-to-have-had-a/) [Barbara Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-walters/) > [Those of us who are today prepared to hazard our lives for the cause would regret having raised a finger, if we were able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodor-herzl/those-of-us-who-are-today-prepared-to-hazard-our-lives-for-the-cause/) [Theodor Herzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodor-herzl/) > [“That they were torn from mistakes they had no chance to fix; everything unfinished. All the sins of love without detail, detail without love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-michaels/that-they-were-torn-from-mistakes-they-had-no-chance-to-fix/) [Anne Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-michaels/) > [Honestly, I regret not having spanked my kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/honestly-i-regret-not-having-spanked-my-kids/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [Regretting isnt a regret, having not to regret is the biggest regret. ;)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mysterio/regretting-isnt-a-regret-having-not-to-regret-is-the-biggest-regret/) [Mysterio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mysterio/) > [I'm one of those fellas who's got lots of regrets, but I don't regret having regrets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-dobbs/i-m-one-of-those-fellas-who-s-got-lots-of-regrets-but-i-don-t-regret/) [Lou Dobbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-dobbs/) > [“I don’t regret anything I was before because I still am. I only regret not having loved you. Put your hands in mine And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-caeiro/i-don-t-regret-anything-i-was-before-because-i-still-am-i-only-regret/) [Alberto Caeiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-caeiro/) > [Of course I regret not having been able to spend time with my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san-suu-kyi/of-course-i-regret-not-having-been-able-to-spend-time-with-my-family/) [Aung San Suu Kyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aung-san-suu-kyi/) > [Sorry you'll someday regret having too much or not enough fun in college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sorry-you-ll-someday-regret-having-too-much-or-not-enough-fun-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“This was my life to live … I might never make it in the music business. But I’d rather try and fail than live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-a-andrews/this-was-my-life-to-live-i-might-never-make-it-in-the-music-business/) E.A. Andrews ## More by Emile Zola > [“Hélène, her eyes once more raised and remote, was deep in a dream. She was Lady Rowena, she was in love, with the deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/h-l-ne-her-eyes-once-more-raised-and-remote-was-deep-in-a-dream-she/) [Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [The vague torment of ... ambition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/the-vague-torment-of-ambition/) [Emile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [How evil life must be if it were indeed necessary that such imploring cries, such cries of physical and moral wretchedness, should ever and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/how-evil-life-must-be-if-it-were-indeed-necessary-that-such-imploring/) [Emile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [“he was carried aloft, for the moment, on one of those great waves of hope from which he was usually plunged deep into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/he-was-carried-aloft-for-the-moment-on-one-of-those-great-waves-of/) [Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [“Death had to take her little by little, bit by bit, dragging her along to the bitter end of the miserable existence she'd made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/death-had-to-take-her-little-by-little-bit-by-bit-dragging-her-along/) [Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [If something's just, I'll let myself be hacked to bits for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/if-something-s-just-i-ll-let-myself-be-hacked-to-bits-for-it/) [Emile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [“Lastly, I accuse the first court-martial of having violated the law by condemning an accused person on one document kept secret, and I accuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/lastly-i-accuse-the-first-court-martial-of-having-violated-the-law-by/) [Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [“vexation, yet filled with unconscious regret for the terrible unknown things that might have, but had not, happened (23)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/vexation-yet-filled-with-unconscious-regret-for-the-terrible-unknown/) [Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [“Good gracious!" she exclaimed, "she's been more than an hour in there! When the priests set about cleansing her of her sins, the choir-boys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/good-gracious-she-exclaimed-she-s-been-more-than-an-hour-in-there/) [Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [The only basis for living is believing in life, loving it, and applying the whole force of one's intellect to know it better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/the-only-basis-for-living-is-believing-in-life-loving-it-and-applying/) [Emile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [“A new dynasty is never founded without a struggle. Blood makes good manure. It will be a good thing for the Rougon family to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/a-new-dynasty-is-never-founded-without-a-struggle-blood-makes-good/) [Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [I believe that all is illusion and vanity outside the treasure of truths slowly accumulated, and which will never again be lost. I believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/i-believe-that-all-is-illusion-and-vanity-outside-the-treasure-of/) [Emile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [“After a time, she believed in the reality of this comedy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/after-a-time-she-believed-in-the-reality-of-this-comedy/) [Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [“She wanted to live, and live fully, and to give life, she who loved life! What was the good of existing, if you couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/she-wanted-to-live-and-live-fully-and-to-give-life-she-who-loved-life/) [Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [The fear of life, the fear of burdens and of duties, of annoyances and of catastrophes! The fear of life, which makes us, through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/the-fear-of-life-the-fear-of-burdens-and-of-duties-of-annoyances-and/) [Emile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) [Explore all 243 Emile Zola quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) ## More Nuisance quotes > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [My problems are sort of more on a nuisance level. I can't stand scratchy clothes, I've got to have soft kinds of cotton against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/my-problems-are-sort-of-more-on-a-nuisance-level-i-can-t-stand/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [“seperate morality from its effects, and you will see that everyone regards ias a nuisance, an annoying brake on their freedom of action.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-blackburn/seperate-morality-from-its-effects-and-you-will-see-that-everyone/) [Simon Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-blackburn/) > [This was life! Ah, how he loved it! Civilization held nothing like this in its narrow and circumscribed sphere, hemmed in by restrictions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-rice-burroughs/this-was-life-ah-how-he-loved-it-civilization-held-nothing-like-this/) [Edgar Rice Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-rice-burroughs/) > [It may easily come to pass that a vain man may become proud and imagine himself pleasing to all when he is in reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/it-may-easily-come-to-pass-that-a-vain-man-may-become-proud-and/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [You can be a nuisance to your family. You mustn't be a nuisance to your friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumer-godden/you-can-be-a-nuisance-to-your-family-you-mustn-t-be-a-nuisance-to/) [Rumer Godden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumer-godden/) > [Of all the unbearable nuisances, the ignoramus that has traveled is the worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kin-hubbard/of-all-the-unbearable-nuisances-the-ignoramus-that-has-traveled-is/) [Kin Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kin-hubbard/) > [Because of these new car models there is suddenly on the streets of Delhi a new intolerance by the motorists for both the cows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vandana-shiva/because-of-these-new-car-models-there-is-suddenly-on-the-streets-of/) [Vandana Shiva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vandana-shiva/) > [There was one field in which man was unsurpassed; he showed unlimited ingenuity in devising bigger and more efficient ways to kill off, enslave,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/there-was-one-field-in-which-man-was-unsurpassed-he-showed-unlimited/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Nest of Soviet fellow travelers clacking busybodies in a Soviet jellyfish front, sitting here in Leesburg oozing out their funny little propaganda and making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-larouche/nest-of-soviet-fellow-travelers-clacking-busybodies-in-a-soviet/) [Lyndon LaRouche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-larouche/) > [A human being must have occupation, of he or she is not to become a nuisance to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/a-human-being-must-have-occupation-of-he-or-she-is-not-to-become-a/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [Babies are a nuisance, of course. But so does everything seem to be that is worth while – husbands and books and committees and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brittain/babies-are-a-nuisance-of-course-but-so-does-everything-seem-to-be/) [Vera Brittain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-brittain/) > [No guest is so welcome in a friend's house that he will not become a nuisance after three days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plautus/no-guest-is-so-welcome-in-a-friend-s-house-that-he-will-not-become-a/) [Plautus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plautus/) > [Fool of a Took!" he growled. "This is a serious journey, not a hobbit walking-party. Throw yourself in next time, and then you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fool-of-a-took-he-growled-this-is-a-serious-journey-not-a-hobbit/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It would have saved trouble had I remained Perkins from the first, this changing of women's names is a nuisance we are now happily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/it-would-have-saved-trouble-had-i-remained-perkins-from-the-first/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) [Browse all 180 Nuisance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuisance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Perfection is such a nuisance that I often regret having cured myself of using tobacco.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Emile Zola" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/perfection-is-such-a-nuisance-that-i-often-regret-having-cured-myself/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Nuisance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/perfection-is-such-a-nuisance-that-i-often-regret-having-cured-myself/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/mile-zola-1188_nuisance_perfection-is-such-a-nuisance-that-i-oft_1917854.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/mile-zola-1188_nuisance_perfection-is-such-a-nuisance-that-i-oft_1917854.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/mile-zola-1188_nuisance_perfection-is-such-a-nuisance-that-i-oft_1917854.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Perfection is such a nuisance that I often regret having cured myself of using tobacco.” — Emile Zola", "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": "Emile Zola", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Perfection is such a nuisance that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/perfection-is-such-a-nuisance-that-i-often-regret-having-cured-myself/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/perfection-is-such-a-nuisance-that-i-often-regret-having-cured-myself/#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 } } ] } ```