--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We can never attain to perfection while…" description: "\"We can never attain to perfection while we have an affection for any imperfection.\" — Saint Francis de Sales" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/579/saint-francis-de-sales-2108_affection_we-can-never-attain-to-perfection-while_2190890.png" --- # We can never attain to perfection while we have an… ![“We can never attain to perfection while we have an affection for any imperfection.” quote by Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/579/saint-francis-de-sales-2108_affection_we-can-never-attain-to-perfection-while_2190890.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/579/saint-francis-de-sales-2108_affection_we-can-never-attain-to-perfection-while_2190890.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/579/saint-francis-de-sales-2108_affection_we-can-never-attain-to-perfection-while_2190890.png) > “We can never attain to perfection while we have an affection for any imperfection.” [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Striving for perfection is impossible while we still cherish flaws; true growth requires letting go of attachments to imperfection. **In simple terms:** Perfection needs detachment from flaws. Key Takeaway Release attachment to imperfections. Themes philosophy self‑improvement spirituality Mood contemplative hopeful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal development - creative work - relationships Key Concepts attachment perfectionism Questions to Reflect On - What flaws are you still attached to? - Can you improve without perfecting? A Different Perspective Perfection is a moving target; acceptance may be more realistic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affection/) [Affection Imperfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affection-imperfection-4772039/) [Attain Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attain-perfection-845133/) [Catholic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic/) [Excellence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellence/) [Imperfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperfection/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [Perfection Affection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection-affection-4772040/) ## Related quotes > [Those who wish to attain God and progress in religious devotion, should particularly guard themselves against the snares of lust and wealth. Otherwise they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramakrishna/those-who-wish-to-attain-god-and-progress-in-religious-devotion/) [Ramakrishna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramakrishna/) > [Perfection does not existwe made it up. Perfection does not naturally occur in reality because we define it as infinitely better than all else.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/perfection-does-not-existwe-made-it-up-perfection-does-not-naturally/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [Humanity will ever seek but never attain perfection. Let us at least survive and go on trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dora-russell/humanity-will-ever-seek-but-never-attain-perfection-let-us-at-least/) [Dora Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dora-russell/) > [Eternity gives life to all and sustains all, transforms all on the wheel of dharma - until all attain perfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/eternity-gives-life-to-all-and-sustains-all-transforms-all-on-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“No one can attain perfection without self-knowledge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-negi/no-one-can-attain-perfection-without-self-knowledge/) [Shiva Negi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-negi/) > [It is a great imperfection to complain unceasingly of little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/it-is-a-great-imperfection-to-complain-unceasingly-of-little-things/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [I decided to lock myself in. A forced segregation. Sabbatical. A retreat into myself. My selves. Play hide and go seek in the looking-glass.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/i-decided-to-lock-myself-in-a-forced-segregation-sabbatical-a-retreat/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [“Earth life is giant field day where we willingly choose the limitation of racing with both feet in a potato sack, or sometimes we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaya-mclaren/earth-life-is-giant-field-day-where-we-willingly-choose-the/) [Kaya McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-mclaren/) > [Laugh at every mistakes and realize that no one is perfect. We are human. All of us are imperfect, so there's no point judging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/laugh-at-every-mistakes-and-realize-that-no-one-is-perfect-we-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Silence tells the seeker in us to love, to love himself. It tells us it is wrong to hate ourselves because of our imperfections.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-chinmoy/silence-tells-the-seeker-in-us-to-love-to-love-himself-it-tells-us-it/) [Sri Chinmoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-chinmoy/) > [The seed of your next artwork lies embedded in the imperfections of your current piece.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/the-seed-of-your-next-artwork-lies-embedded-in-the-imperfections-of/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [Try spelling that, lol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/try-spelling-that-lol/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You know why you're not perfect? You do everything perfectly and you think you are perfect, but the mere fact that you think about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-know-why-you-re-not-perfect-you-do-everything-perfectly-and-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A poor self-image is the magnifying glass that can transform a trivial mistake or an imperfection into an overwhelming symbol of personal defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/a-poor-self-image-is-the-magnifying-glass-that-can-transform-a/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [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 Saint Francis de Sales > [Flowers often grow more beautifully on dung-hills than in gardens that look beautifully kept.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/flowers-often-grow-more-beautifully-on-dung-hills-than-in-gardens/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [Friendship requires great communication.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/friendship-requires-great-communication/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [The thoughts of those moved by natural human love are almost completely fastened on the beloved, their hearts are filled with passion for it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/the-thoughts-of-those-moved-by-natural-human-love-are-almost/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [It matters little how one begins, provided that he be resolved to go on well, and to end well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/it-matters-little-how-one-begins-provided-that-he-be-resolved-to-go/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [Those who love to be feared fear to be loved, and they themselves are more afraid than anyone, for whereas other men fear only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/those-who-love-to-be-feared-fear-to-be-loved-and-they-themselves-are/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [Go to your confessor; open your heart to him; display to him all the recesses of your soul; take the advice that he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/go-to-your-confessor-open-your-heart-to-him-display-to-him-all-the/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [It is better to remain silent than to speak the truth ill-humoredly, and spoil an excellent dish by covering it with bad sauce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/it-is-better-to-remain-silent-than-to-speak-the-truth-ill-humoredly/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [Friendships begun in this world will be taken up again, never to be broken off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/friendships-begun-in-this-world-will-be-taken-up-again-never-to-be/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [And when children begin to use their reason, fathers and mothers should take great pains to fill their hearts with the fear of God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/and-when-children-begin-to-use-their-reason-fathers-and-mothers/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [Pride dies 20 minutes after death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/pride-dies-20-minutes-after-death/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [To be pleased at correction and reproofs shows that one loves the virtues which are contrary to those faults for which he is corrected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/to-be-pleased-at-correction-and-reproofs-shows-that-one-loves-the/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [If you would fall into any extreme, let it be on the side of gentleness. The human mind is so constructed that it resists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/if-you-would-fall-into-any-extreme-let-it-be-on-the-side-of/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [One single act done with aridity of spirit is worth more than many done with feelings of devotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/one-single-act-done-with-aridity-of-spirit-is-worth-more-than-many/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [All of us can attain to Christian virtue and holiness, no matter in what condition of life we live and no matter what our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/all-of-us-can-attain-to-christian-virtue-and-holiness-no-matter-in/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [We must visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament a hundred thousand times a day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/we-must-visit-jesus-in-the-blessed-sacrament-a-hundred-thousand-times/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) [Explore all 185 Saint Francis de Sales quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) ## More Affection quotes > [My team and I have reunited two elements that coexist with diffiulty: respect and affection, because when they love you they don't respect you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakira/my-team-and-i-have-reunited-two-elements-that-coexist-with-diffiulty/) [Shakira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakira/) > [Needs cause motivation. Deep-rooted desires for esteem, affection, belonging, achievement, self-actualization, power, and control motivate us to push for what we want and need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorii-myers/needs-cause-motivation-deep-rooted-desires-for-esteem-affection/) [Lorii Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorii-myers/) > [“It is to build a house with affection, even as if your beloved were to dwell in that house.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/it-is-to-build-a-house-with-affection-even-as-if-your-beloved-were-to/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [I, measuring his affections by my own, Which then most sought where most might not be found, Being one too many by my weary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-measuring-his-affections-by-my-own-which-then-most-sought-where/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [There are a number of qualities which are important for mental peace, but from the little experience I have, I believe that one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/there-are-a-number-of-qualities-which-are-important-for-mental-peace/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [A lost love. Deny it who will, ridicule it, treat it as mere imagination and sentiment, the thing is and will be; and women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinah-maria-murlock-craik/a-lost-love-deny-it-who-will-ridicule-it-treat-it-as-mere-imagination/) [Dinah Maria Murlock Craik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinah-maria-murlock-craik/) > [Affection! Affection is false.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/affection-affection-is-false/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [We are a spectacular, splendid manifestation of life. We have language. . . . We have affection. We have genes for usefulness, and usefulness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-are-a-spectacular-splendid-manifestation-of-life-we-have-language/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [Listen, I have a great affection and respect for Joe Biden. I think he's been a great vice president. He's taken on a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-axelrod/listen-i-have-a-great-affection-and-respect-for-joe-biden-i-think-he/) [David Axelrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-axelrod/) > [The still affection of the heart Became an outward breathing type, That into stillness past again, And left a want unknown before; Although the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/the-still-affection-of-the-heart-became-an-outward-breathing-type/) [Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/) > [I am persuaded that there is no affection of the human heart more exquisitely pure, than that which is felt by a grateful son…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-more/i-am-persuaded-that-there-is-no-affection-of-the-human-heart-more/) [Hannah More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-more/) > [If you live in a material universe where acquiring things is very important to you, then family is an absolute deterrent to maintaining that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/if-you-live-in-a-material-universe-where-acquiring-things-is-very/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [Our sweetest experiences of affection are meant to be suggestions of that realm which is the home of the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/our-sweetest-experiences-of-affection-are-meant-to-be-suggestions-of/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [“Georgia O’Keeffe moved to rural New Mexico, from which she would sign her letters to the people she loved, “from the faraway nearby.” It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/georgia-o-keeffe-moved-to-rural-new-mexico-from-which-she-would-sign/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) [Browse all 2,465 Affection quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affection/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We can never attain to perfection while we have an affection for any imperfection.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Saint Francis de Sales" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/we-can-never-attain-to-perfection-while-we-have-an-affection-for-any/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Affection" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/we-can-never-attain-to-perfection-while-we-have-an-affection-for-any/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/579/saint-francis-de-sales-2108_affection_we-can-never-attain-to-perfection-while_2190890.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/579/saint-francis-de-sales-2108_affection_we-can-never-attain-to-perfection-while_2190890.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/579/saint-francis-de-sales-2108_affection_we-can-never-attain-to-perfection-while_2190890.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We can never attain to perfection while we have an affection for any imperfection.” — Saint Francis de Sales", "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": "Saint Francis de Sales", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We can never attain to perfection...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/we-can-never-attain-to-perfection-while-we-have-an-affection-for-any/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/we-can-never-attain-to-perfection-while-we-have-an-affection-for-any/#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 } } ] } ```