--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is however, reasonable, to have…" description: "\"It is however, reasonable, to have perfection in our eye; that we may always advance towards it, though we know it never can be reached.\" — Samuel Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2a/samuel-johnson-50_advance_it-is-however-reasonable-to-have-perfect_2747594.png" --- # It is however, reasonable, to have perfection in our eye… ![“It is however, reasonable, to have perfection in our eye; that we may always advance towards it, though we know it never can be reached.” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2a/samuel-johnson-50_advance_it-is-however-reasonable-to-have-perfect_2747594.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2a/samuel-johnson-50_advance_it-is-however-reasonable-to-have-perfect_2747594.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2a/samuel-johnson-50_advance_it-is-however-reasonable-to-have-perfect_2747594.png) > “It is however, reasonable, to have perfection in our eye; that we may always advance towards it, though we know it never can be reached.” [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Perfection is an aspirational guide, not a reachable endpoint, driving continual improvement despite its impossibility. **In simple terms:** Perfection guides progress Key Takeaway Use imperfection as motivation Themes ambition self-improvement philosophy Mood thoughtful determined Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - goal setting - self-assessment - learning Key Concepts idealism pragmatism Questions to Reflect On - What realistic standards can you set? - How do you balance striving and acceptance? A Different Perspective Perfection can become paralyzing if obsessively pursued ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advance/) [Excellence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellence/) [Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye/) [Eye Advance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye-advance-2074654/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [Perfection and imperfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection-and-imperfection-142564/) [Perfection Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection-eye-2074652/) [Perfectionism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfectionism/) [Reached](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reached/) [Reasonable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasonable/) [Reasonable Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasonable-perfection-2074653/) ## Related quotes > [It is reasonable to have perfection in our eye that we may always advance toward it, though we know it can never be reached.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-reasonable-to-have-perfection-in-our-eye-that-we-may-always/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The fringed curtains of thine eye advance, And say what thou seest yond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/the-fringed-curtains-of-thine-eye-advance-and-say-what-thou-seest-yond/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things, but in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-angelique-arnauld/perfection-consists-not-in-doing-extraordinary-things-but-in-doing/) [Marie Angelique Arnauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-angelique-arnauld/) > [Where imperfection ceaseth, heaven begins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-james-bailey/where-imperfection-ceaseth-heaven-begins/) [Philip James Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-james-bailey/) > [The more perfect we are, the more gentle and quiet we become toward the defects of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/the-more-perfect-we-are-the-more-gentle-and-quiet-we-become-toward/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [All of us failed to match our dreams of perfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/all-of-us-failed-to-match-our-dreams-of-perfection/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [We are imperfect. We cannot expect perfect government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-howard-taft/we-are-imperfect-we-cannot-expect-perfect-government/) [William Howard Taft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-howard-taft/) > [To sit in judgment of those things which you perceive to be wrong or imperfect is to be one more person who is part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/to-sit-in-judgment-of-those-things-which-you-perceive-to-be-wrong-or/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [I cling to my imperfection, as the very essence of my being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/i-cling-to-my-imperfection-as-the-very-essence-of-my-being/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [If a man has a science to learn he must regularly and resolutely advance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-a-man-has-a-science-to-learn-he-must-regularly-and-resolutely/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [I have reached here by selling tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/i-have-reached-here-by-selling-tea/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [All trembling, I reached the Falls of Niagara, and oh, what a scene! My blood shudders still, although I am not a coward, at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-james-audubon/all-trembling-i-reached-the-falls-of-niagara-and-oh-what-a-scene-my/) [John James Audubon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-james-audubon/) > [On March 12, 2004, acting attorney general James B. Comey and the Justice Department's top leadership reached the brink of resignation over electronic surveillance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/on-march-12-2004-acting-attorney-general-james-b-comey-and-the/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) > [Maturity is reached the day we don't need to be lied to about anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-yerby/maturity-is-reached-the-day-we-don-t-need-to-be-lied-to-about-anything/) [Frank Yerby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-yerby/) > [An artist's creative energy is ephemeral as a flower. It blooms and soon dies. No artist is great forever. Personally, I think I reached…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-ki-duk/an-artist-s-creative-energy-is-ephemeral-as-a-flower-it-blooms-and/) [Kim Ki-duk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-ki-duk/) ## More by Samuel Johnson > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [You can never be wise unless you love reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-can-never-be-wise-unless-you-love-reading/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [All theory is against free will; all experience is for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-theory-is-against-free-will-all-experience-is-for-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Had I learned to fiddle, I should have done nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/had-i-learned-to-fiddle-i-should-have-done-nothing-else/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [It is as foolish to make experiments upon the constancy of a friend, as upon the chastity of a wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-as-foolish-to-make-experiments-upon-the-constancy-of-a-friend/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness; it certainly destroys liberty, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/resolve-not-to-be-poor-whatever-you-have-spend-less-poverty-is-a/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The basis of all excellence is truth: he that professes love ought to feel its power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-basis-of-all-excellence-is-truth-he-that-professes-love-ought-to/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Words are daughters of earth but ideas are sons of heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/words-are-daughters-of-earth-but-ideas-are-sons-of-heaven/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The composition of Shakespeare is a forest, in which oaks extend in the air, interspersed sometimes with weeds and brambles, and sometimes giving shelting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-forest-in-which-oaks-extend-in/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The cherubim were never intended as an object of worship, because they were only the appendices to another thing. But a thing is then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-cherubim-were-never-intended-as-an-object-of-worship-because-they/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Nobody has the right to put another under such a difficulty that he must either hurt the person by telling the truth or hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/nobody-has-the-right-to-put-another-under-such-a-difficulty-that-he/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [That kind of life is most happy which affords us most opportunities of gaining our own self-esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/that-kind-of-life-is-most-happy-which-affords-us-most-opportunities/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The time will come to every human being when it must be known how well he can bear to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-time-will-come-to-every-human-being-when-it-must-be-known-how/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Explore all 1,998 Samuel Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More Advance quotes > [I don't think we should tell them what we're going to do in advance. Let them think. Worry. Wonder. Uncertainty is the most chilling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-a-walters/i-don-t-think-we-should-tell-them-what-we-re-going-to-do-in-advance/) [Vernon A. Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-a-walters/) > [It's more common than not that bipolar illness will start in the teens. One of the reasons I spend a lot of time on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/it-s-more-common-than-not-that-bipolar-illness-will-start-in-the/) [Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/) > [The advance of science spares us from irrational dread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/the-advance-of-science-spares-us-from-irrational-dread/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [Some companies out there quote a start of production that is substantially in advance of when customers get their cars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/some-companies-out-there-quote-a-start-of-production-that-is/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [My priority in life is my whanau, followed by my work as an artist, which has blessed me with the ability to provide opportunities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/my-priority-in-life-is-my-whanau-followed-by-my-work-as-an-artist/) [Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/) > [Others have said it before me. If you don't have a seat at the table, you're probably on the menu. And so it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/others-have-said-it-before-me-if-you-don-t-have-a-seat-at-the-table/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [What I have in advance are people I want to write about and a problem or problems that I see those people encountering and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/what-i-have-in-advance-are-people-i-want-to-write-about-and-a-problem/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [Error is discipline through which we advance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ellery-channing/error-is-discipline-through-which-we-advance/) [William Ellery Channing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ellery-channing/) > [I think it's important to earn your fan base and not just try to immediately advance to the top. If you ride to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/i-think-it-s-important-to-earn-your-fan-base-and-not-just-try-to/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [The Chinese public is deeply nationalist, which matters to China's unelected political leadership as much as U.S. nationalism does to American politicians. As China…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/the-chinese-public-is-deeply-nationalist-which-matters-to-china-s/) [Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/) > [Some might complain that nuclear disarmament is little more than a dream. But that ignores the very tangible benefits disarmament would bring for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ban-ki-moon/some-might-complain-that-nuclear-disarmament-is-little-more-than-a/) [Ban Ki-moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ban-ki-moon/) > [Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/let-our-advance-worrying-become-advance-thinking-and-planning/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Let us not bankrupt our todays by paying interest on the regrets of yesterday and by borrowing in advance the troubles of tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-w-sockman-2/let-us-not-bankrupt-our-todays-by-paying-interest-on-the-regrets-of/) [Ralph W. Sockman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-w-sockman-2/) > [In times of failing health, don't hopelessly pray for the intervention of a mythical god; wish hopefully for an advance in medical science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-fowler/in-times-of-failing-health-don-t-hopelessly-pray-for-the-intervention/) [Steve Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-fowler/) > [Clearly, unless thinking beings inevitably wipe themselves out soon after developing technology, extraterrestrial intelligence could often be millions or billions of years in advance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/clearly-unless-thinking-beings-inevitably-wipe-themselves-out-soon/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) [Browse all 263 Advance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is however, reasonable, to have perfection in our eye; that we may always advance towards it, though we know it never can be reached.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-however-reasonable-to-have-perfection-in-our-eye-that-we-may/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-however-reasonable-to-have-perfection-in-our-eye-that-we-may/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2a/samuel-johnson-50_advance_it-is-however-reasonable-to-have-perfect_2747594.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2a/samuel-johnson-50_advance_it-is-however-reasonable-to-have-perfect_2747594.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2a/samuel-johnson-50_advance_it-is-however-reasonable-to-have-perfect_2747594.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is however, reasonable, to have perfection in our eye; that we may always advance towards it, though we…” — Samuel Johnson", "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": "Samuel Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is however, reasonable, to have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-however-reasonable-to-have-perfection-in-our-eye-that-we-may/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-however-reasonable-to-have-perfection-in-our-eye-that-we-may/#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 } } ] } ```