--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Perfection is achieved, not when there's…" description: "\"“Perfection is achieved, not when there's nothing much more to add, but when there's nothing left to remove.\" - Antoine de Saint-Exupe”\" — Nicholas ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c92/nicholas-fringe-73863_achieved_perfection-is-achieved-not-when-there-s_2292317.jpg" --- # Perfection is achieved, not when there's nothing much more… ![“Perfection is achieved, not when there's nothing much more to add, but when there's nothing left to remove." - Antoine de Saint-Exupe” quote by Nicholas Fringe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c92/nicholas-fringe-73863_achieved_perfection-is-achieved-not-when-there-s_2292317.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c92/nicholas-fringe-73863_achieved_perfection-is-achieved-not-when-there-s_2292317.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c92/nicholas-fringe-73863_achieved_perfection-is-achieved-not-when-there-s_2292317.jpg) > ““Perfection is achieved, not when there's nothing much more to add, but when there's nothing left to remove." -    Antoine de Saint-Exupe”” Nicholas Fringe ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Perfection comes from removing excess, not adding more, focusing on essential clarity. **In simple terms:** Perfection is about removal, not addition. Key Takeaway Eliminate what isn’t needed. Themes design simplicity excellence Mood reflective inspired analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - product design - writing - software development - personal organization Key Concepts minimalism iteration clarity Questions to Reflect On - What can you discard without losing meaning? - How does removal improve quality? A Different Perspective Removing too much can strip essential function. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Excellence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellence/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) ## Related quotes > [“Absolute perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing to add, but nothing to take away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/absolute-perfection-is-achieved-not-when-there-is-nothing-to-add-but/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [“Perfection is only achieved when there is nothing more that can be taken away rather then when there are things that can be added”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry-2/perfection-is-only-achieved-when-there-is-nothing-more-that-can-be/) [Antoine De Saint Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry-2/) > [Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/perfection-is-achieved-not-when-there-is-nothing-left-to-add-but-when/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If you want to build a ship, don't summon people to buy wood, prepare tools, distribute jobs, and organize the work, rather teach people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/if-you-want-to-build-a-ship-don-t-summon-people-to-buy-wood-prepare-2/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [“Antoine de Saint-Exupéry captures this well: “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-a-smith/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry-captures-this-well-if-you-want-to-build-a/) [James K.A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-a-smith/) > [Perfection is never achieved, so you need to go on working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azzedine-alaia/perfection-is-never-achieved-so-you-need-to-go-on-working/) [Azzedine Alaia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azzedine-alaia/) > [It's not that perfection cannot be achieved. It's that it's so hard to stop there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/it-s-not-that-perfection-cannot-be-achieved-it-s-that-it-s-so-hard-to/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [I can only thank Manchester City for everything they have done for me. What we have achieved in such a short space of time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-duggan/i-can-only-thank-manchester-city-for-everything-they-have-done-for-me/) [Toni Duggan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-duggan/) > [If I can achieve for Celtic what I have achieved for Hibs, then I feel I will have done well for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jock-stein/if-i-can-achieve-for-celtic-what-i-have-achieved-for-hibs-then-i-feel/) [Jock Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jock-stein/) > [No doubt the ridiculous politicians are right to like politics. They have found careers in which success can be achieved by being ridiculous. Imagine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/no-doubt-the-ridiculous-politicians-are-right-to-like-politics-they/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Justice is not cheap. Justice is not quick. It is not ever finally achieved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/justice-is-not-cheap-justice-is-not-quick-it-is-not-ever-finally/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [Now when I watch my films after 10 years, I realise what have I achieved? Nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rimi-sen/now-when-i-watch-my-films-after-10-years-i-realise-what-have-i/) [Rimi Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rimi-sen/) > [My decision was that after nearly three years at Celtic - with everything we'd achieved and the success we'd had on the pitch, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-rodgers/my-decision-was-that-after-nearly-three-years-at-celtic-with/) [Brendan Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-rodgers/) > [To achieve something you've never achieved before, you must become someone you've never been before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubham-joshi/to-achieve-something-you-ve-never-achieved-before-you-must-become/) [Shubham Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubham-joshi/) > [By the time you have no difficulties in your life, you have achieved Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brown/by-the-time-you-have-no-difficulties-in-your-life-you-have-achieved/) [Charles Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brown/) ## More by Nicholas Fringe > [“Wаlk lightlу in thе spring; Mоthеr Earth iѕ рrеgnаnt.” - Nаtivе American (Kiowa) рrоvеrb”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-fringe/w-lk-lightl-in-th-spring-m-th-r-earth-i-r-gn-nt-n-tiv-american-kiowa/) Nicholas Fringe > [“Whatever you do and have in life (material stuff, relationships, etc.) either adds value to your life or drags you down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-fringe/whatever-you-do-and-have-in-life-material-stuff-relationships-etc/) Nicholas Fringe > [“Thе аbilitу to ѕimрlifу means tо eliminate the unnесеѕѕаrу so thаt thе nесеѕѕаrу mау ѕреаk.” - Hans Hоfmаnn”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-fringe/th-bilit-to-im-lif-means-t-eliminate-the-unn-r-so-th-t-th-n-r-m-k/) Nicholas Fringe Explore all 4 Nicholas Fringe quotes ## More Achieved quotes > [By the time you have no difficulties in your life, you have achieved Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brown/by-the-time-you-have-no-difficulties-in-your-life-you-have-achieved/) [Charles Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brown/) > [To achieve something you've never achieved before, you must become someone you've never been before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubham-joshi/to-achieve-something-you-ve-never-achieved-before-you-must-become/) [Shubham Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubham-joshi/) > [My decision was that after nearly three years at Celtic - with everything we'd achieved and the success we'd had on the pitch, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-rodgers/my-decision-was-that-after-nearly-three-years-at-celtic-with/) [Brendan Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-rodgers/) > [Now when I watch my films after 10 years, I realise what have I achieved? Nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rimi-sen/now-when-i-watch-my-films-after-10-years-i-realise-what-have-i/) [Rimi Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rimi-sen/) > [Justice is not cheap. Justice is not quick. It is not ever finally achieved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/justice-is-not-cheap-justice-is-not-quick-it-is-not-ever-finally/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [No doubt the ridiculous politicians are right to like politics. They have found careers in which success can be achieved by being ridiculous. Imagine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/no-doubt-the-ridiculous-politicians-are-right-to-like-politics-they/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [If I can achieve for Celtic what I have achieved for Hibs, then I feel I will have done well for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jock-stein/if-i-can-achieve-for-celtic-what-i-have-achieved-for-hibs-then-i-feel/) [Jock Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jock-stein/) > [I can only thank Manchester City for everything they have done for me. What we have achieved in such a short space of time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-duggan/i-can-only-thank-manchester-city-for-everything-they-have-done-for-me/) [Toni Duggan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-duggan/) > [The victory will be only entirely and finally achieved when the whole world is free of Jews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-streicher/the-victory-will-be-only-entirely-and-finally-achieved-when-the-whole/) [Julius Streicher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-streicher/) > [Nothing great is ever achieved without much enduring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/nothing-great-is-ever-achieved-without-much-enduring/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [You've got to admire Sir Richard Branson. He is a completely different style of businessman to me, but you have got to admire what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-sugar/you-ve-got-to-admire-sir-richard-branson-he-is-a-completely-different/) [Alan Sugar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-sugar/) > [In the end, individual titles are achieved with the help of all your team-mates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-ramos/in-the-end-individual-titles-are-achieved-with-the-help-of-all-your/) [Sergio Ramos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-ramos/) > [Success is not found in what you have achieved but rather in who you have become](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziad-k-abdelnour/success-is-not-found-in-what-you-have-achieved-but-rather-in-who-you/) [Ziad K. Abdelnour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziad-k-abdelnour/) > [Gender equality cannot be achieved by cutting programs that allow girls to get the same chance to compete, learn, and play. The United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-sanchez/gender-equality-cannot-be-achieved-by-cutting-programs-that-allow/) [Linda Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-sanchez/) > [It is only through religion that communism can be achieved, and has been achieved over and over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/it-is-only-through-religion-that-communism-can-be-achieved-and-has/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) Browse all 410 Achieved quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Perfection is achieved, not when there's nothing much more to add, but when there's nothing left to remove.\" -    Antoine de Saint-Exupe”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nicholas Fringe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-fringe/perfection-is-achieved-not-when-there-s-nothing-much-more-to-add-but/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Achieved" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-fringe/perfection-is-achieved-not-when-there-s-nothing-much-more-to-add-but/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c92/nicholas-fringe-73863_achieved_perfection-is-achieved-not-when-there-s_2292317.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c92/nicholas-fringe-73863_achieved_perfection-is-achieved-not-when-there-s_2292317.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c92/nicholas-fringe-73863_achieved_perfection-is-achieved-not-when-there-s_2292317.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Perfection is achieved, not when there's nothing much more to add, but when there's nothing left to remove.\"…” — Nicholas Fringe", "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": "Nicholas Fringe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-fringe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Perfection is achieved, not when there's...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-fringe/perfection-is-achieved-not-when-there-s-nothing-much-more-to-add-but/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-fringe/perfection-is-achieved-not-when-there-s-nothing-much-more-to-add-but/#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 } } ] } ```