--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We must know when to move on. To search…" description: "\"We must know when to move on. To search too long for perfection can also paralyse.\" — Peter Goldsworthy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81d/peter-goldsworthy-69969_letting_we-must-know-when-to-move-on-to-search-t_2336818.png" --- # We must know when to move on. To search too long for… ![“We must know when to move on. To search too long for perfection can also paralyse.” quote by Peter Goldsworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81d/peter-goldsworthy-69969_letting_we-must-know-when-to-move-on-to-search-t_2336818.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81d/peter-goldsworthy-69969_letting_we-must-know-when-to-move-on-to-search-t_2336818.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81d/peter-goldsworthy-69969_letting_we-must-know-when-to-move-on-to-search-t_2336818.png) > “We must know when to move on. To search too long for perfection can also paralyse.” Peter Goldsworthy ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Pursuing endless perfection can stall progress; knowing when to let go is essential. **In simple terms:** Seeking perfection can cause paralysis; move on when needed. Key Takeaway Balance striving with timely action. Themes perfectionism decision‑making growth Mood reflective determined Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal development - creative work - relationships Key Concepts self‑improvement project management Questions to Reflect On - When is it better to accept imperfection? - How do you decide the right moment to move on? A Different Perspective Perfection is subjective, and “good enough” may still be valuable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) ## Related quotes > [“Don’t search too long. I like to hear you beg.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-wright/don-t-search-too-long-i-like-to-hear-you-beg/) [Kenya Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-wright/) > [It took me so long to find the perfection foundation shade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skai-jackson/it-took-me-so-long-to-find-the-perfection-foundation-shade/) [Skai Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skai-jackson/) > [Learn to know yourself... to search realistically and regularly the processes of your own mind and feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/learn-to-know-yourself-to-search-realistically-and-regularly-the/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [You know, search has never been a strong suit of Facebook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lee/you-know-search-has-never-been-a-strong-suit-of-facebook/) [Jennifer Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lee/) > [“... we know that it is the search that gives meaning to any find and that one often has to travel a long way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/we-know-that-it-is-the-search-that-gives-meaning-to-any-find-and-that/) [José Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [“You’re not quitting a job, you’re letting go of it to seek new opportunities for further growth.   When”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-king/you-re-not-quitting-a-job-you-re-letting-go-of-it-to-seek-new/) [Patrick King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-king/) > [Negotiation is often described as the art of letting the other side have your way. You have to give the other side a chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/negotiation-is-often-described-as-the-art-of-letting-the-other-side/) [Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/) > [Wise and purposeful letting alone is the best part of education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mason/wise-and-purposeful-letting-alone-is-the-best-part-of-education/) [Charlotte Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mason/) > [Hold tenderly that which you cherish, for it is precious and a tight grip may crush it. Do not let the fear of dropping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-alberti/hold-tenderly-that-which-you-cherish-for-it-is-precious-and-a-tight/) Bob Alberti > [Letting go a little brings a little peace. Letting go a lot brings a lot of peace. Letting go completely brings complete peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-chah/letting-go-a-little-brings-a-little-peace-letting-go-a-lot-brings-a/) [Ajahn Chah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-chah/) > [I don't know why we all hang on to something we know were better off letting go. Its like were scared to lose what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/i-don-t-know-why-we-all-hang-on-to-something-we-know-were-better-off/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) > [In the last few years in particular, I've found that it's okay to let go of culture rather than hold on to it. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anoushka-shankar/in-the-last-few-years-in-particular-i-ve-found-that-it-s-okay-to-let/) [Anoushka Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anoushka-shankar/) > [Letting go of someone you love , is so hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/letting-go-of-someone-you-love-is-so-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some of the things that we hold onto the most, are the things that we need to let go of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryaj-ablando-catayas/some-of-the-things-that-we-hold-onto-the-most-are-the-things-that-we/) [Ryaj Ablando Catayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryaj-ablando-catayas/) > [I feel as though I've fooled the world into thinking I'm an adult and now they're letting me procreate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/i-feel-as-though-i-ve-fooled-the-world-into-thinking-i-m-an-adult-and/) [George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/) ## More by Peter Goldsworthy > [“Even the stars we see are only a kind of memory, already dead for years.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-goldsworthy/even-the-stars-we-see-are-only-a-kind-of-memory-already-dead-for-years/) Peter Goldsworthy > [“Only the second-rate never make mistakes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-goldsworthy/only-the-second-rate-never-make-mistakes/) Peter Goldsworthy > [“I never hear you practice." He smiled: "Only those who are dirty need to wash.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-goldsworthy/i-never-hear-you-practice-he-smiled-only-those-who-are-dirty-need-to/) Peter Goldsworthy Explore all 4 Peter Goldsworthy quotes ## More Letting quotes > [I feel as though I've fooled the world into thinking I'm an adult and now they're letting me procreate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/i-feel-as-though-i-ve-fooled-the-world-into-thinking-i-m-an-adult-and/) [George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/) > [Some of the things that we hold onto the most, are the things that we need to let go of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryaj-ablando-catayas/some-of-the-things-that-we-hold-onto-the-most-are-the-things-that-we/) [Ryaj Ablando Catayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryaj-ablando-catayas/) > [Letting go of someone you love , is so hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/letting-go-of-someone-you-love-is-so-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In the last few years in particular, I've found that it's okay to let go of culture rather than hold on to it. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anoushka-shankar/in-the-last-few-years-in-particular-i-ve-found-that-it-s-okay-to-let/) [Anoushka Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anoushka-shankar/) > [I don't know why we all hang on to something we know were better off letting go. Its like were scared to lose what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/i-don-t-know-why-we-all-hang-on-to-something-we-know-were-better-off/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) > [Letting go a little brings a little peace. Letting go a lot brings a lot of peace. Letting go completely brings complete peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-chah/letting-go-a-little-brings-a-little-peace-letting-go-a-lot-brings-a/) [Ajahn Chah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-chah/) > [Hold tenderly that which you cherish, for it is precious and a tight grip may crush it. Do not let the fear of dropping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-alberti/hold-tenderly-that-which-you-cherish-for-it-is-precious-and-a-tight/) Bob Alberti > [Wise and purposeful letting alone is the best part of education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mason/wise-and-purposeful-letting-alone-is-the-best-part-of-education/) [Charlotte Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mason/) > [Negotiation is often described as the art of letting the other side have your way. You have to give the other side a chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/negotiation-is-often-described-as-the-art-of-letting-the-other-side/) [Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/) > [“You’re not quitting a job, you’re letting go of it to seek new opportunities for further growth.   When”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-king/you-re-not-quitting-a-job-you-re-letting-go-of-it-to-seek-new/) [Patrick King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-king/) > [Sometimes you have to let go of the one you love to find out if there is really something there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-you-have-to-let-go-of-the-one-you-love-to-find-out-if-there/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I letting you go not because I am not loving you again it because for you and his happiness .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-i-letting-you-go-not-because-i-am-not-loving-you-again-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One of the HARDEST things in life is LETTING GO of what you were USED TO and MOVING ON with something YOU'RE NOT](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mega/one-of-the-hardest-things-in-life-is-letting-go-of-what-you-were-used/) Mega > [There's nothing wrong with crying and letting it out, sometimes it is the best way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-bridge/there-s-nothing-wrong-with-crying-and-letting-it-out-sometimes-it-is/) [Wayne Bridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-bridge/) > [By letting go, you allow everything to find it's rightful place. Once free, everything finds its way home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-brown/by-letting-go-you-allow-everything-to-find-it-s-rightful-place-once/) [Leon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-brown/) Browse all 1,172 Letting quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We must know when to move on. To search too long for perfection can also paralyse.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Goldsworthy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-goldsworthy/we-must-know-when-to-move-on-to-search-too-long-for-perfection-can/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Letting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-goldsworthy/we-must-know-when-to-move-on-to-search-too-long-for-perfection-can/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81d/peter-goldsworthy-69969_letting_we-must-know-when-to-move-on-to-search-t_2336818.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81d/peter-goldsworthy-69969_letting_we-must-know-when-to-move-on-to-search-t_2336818.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81d/peter-goldsworthy-69969_letting_we-must-know-when-to-move-on-to-search-t_2336818.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We must know when to move on. To search too long for perfection can also paralyse.” — Peter Goldsworthy", "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": "Peter Goldsworthy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-goldsworthy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We must know when to move...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-goldsworthy/we-must-know-when-to-move-on-to-search-too-long-for-perfection-can/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-goldsworthy/we-must-know-when-to-move-on-to-search-too-long-for-perfection-can/#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 } } ] } ```