--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Perfect can't possibly be the goal, we're…" description: "\"Perfect can't possibly be the goal, we're left with generous, important and human instead.\" — Seth Godin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5c/seth-godin-152_generous_perfect-can-t-possibly-be-the-goal-we-re_2666990.png" --- # Perfect can't possibly be the goal, we're left with… ![“Perfect can't possibly be the goal, we're left with generous, important and human instead.” quote by Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5c/seth-godin-152_generous_perfect-can-t-possibly-be-the-goal-we-re_2666990.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5c/seth-godin-152_generous_perfect-can-t-possibly-be-the-goal-we-re_2666990.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5c/seth-godin-152_generous_perfect-can-t-possibly-be-the-goal-we-re_2666990.png) > “Perfect can't possibly be the goal, we're left with generous, important and human instead.” [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) ## 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 unattainable; instead, aim for generosity, importance, and humanity in work and life. **In simple terms:** Seek generosity and humanity over perfection. Key Takeaway Prioritize meaningful impact over flawless results. Themes imperfection humanity generosity purpose Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - product design - team culture - personal growth Key Concepts ethical philosophy creative process Questions to Reflect On - What does generosity look like in your work? - How can you measure importance? A Different Perspective Perfection can be a useful benchmark. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Generous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generous/) [Generous Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generous-important-2472899/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Human Instead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-instead-2472901/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Important Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-human-408463/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [Left Generous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left-generous-2472902/) [Perfect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect/) [Possibly Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibly-goal-2472900/) ## Related quotes > [Maybe the purchasing and the making and the wrapping and the decorating - those delightfully generous and important expressions of our love at Christmas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/maybe-the-purchasing-and-the-making-and-the-wrapping-and-the/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [The digital world has power because it has dynamic information, but it's important that we stay human instead of being another machine sitting in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pranav-mistry/the-digital-world-has-power-because-it-has-dynamic-information-but-it/) [Pranav Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pranav-mistry/) > [“If you cannot be a human, instead you prefer to be a Christian, Muslim, Hindu or anything else, then how dare you call yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-you-cannot-be-a-human-instead-you-prefer-to-be-a-christian-muslim/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“I was just trying to be a very good human, instead I became a hero.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-was-just-trying-to-be-a-very-good-human-instead-i-became-a-hero/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“Why kill a flower when you can kill a human instead?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelynn-drake/why-kill-a-flower-when-you-can-kill-a-human-instead/) [Jocelynn Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelynn-drake/) > [Sometimes it's more important to be human, than to have good taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/sometimes-it-s-more-important-to-be-human-than-to-have-good-taste/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [“have proved more important to the human race than any communications yet received through any of the chickens of the Cock-lane brood. France, less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/have-proved-more-important-to-the-human-race-than-any-communications/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“of events had lately come to the English Crown and People, from a congress of British subjects in America: which, strange to relate, have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/of-events-had-lately-come-to-the-english-crown-and-people-from-a/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“I’m serious, Sasha: what is so important about being human? Is it because you simply haven’t experienced anything else?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-dyachenko/i-m-serious-sasha-what-is-so-important-about-being-human-is-it/) [Marina Dyachenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-dyachenko/) > [The most important human endeavor is the striving for morality in our actions. Our inner balance and even our very existence depend on it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/the-most-important-human-endeavor-is-the-striving-for-morality-in-our-2/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [The right to free speech is important but it isn't as important as 'we're all human beings together, let's find solutions together.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/the-right-to-free-speech-is-important-but-it-isn-t-as-important-as-we/) [Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/) > [There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/there-is-no-doubt-that-creativity-is-the-most-important-human/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [Individuality is very important for a full human life...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/individuality-is-very-important-for-a-full-human-life/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [“I knew that over and above the truth, there exists another duty which is much more important and much more human.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/i-knew-that-over-and-above-the-truth-there-exists-another-duty-which/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [Nor can they understand why a totally useless substance like gold should now, all over the world, be considered far more important than human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-more/nor-can-they-understand-why-a-totally-useless-substance-like-gold/) [Thomas More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-more/) ## More by Seth Godin > [“You weren't born to be a cog in the giant industrial machine. You were trained to become a cog. There's an alternative available to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/you-weren-t-born-to-be-a-cog-in-the-giant-industrial-machine-you-were/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Forgive yourself for not being the richest, the thinnest, the tallest, the one with the best hair. Forgive yourself for not being the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/forgive-yourself-for-not-being-the-richest-the-thinnest-the-tallest/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The easier it is to quantify, the less it's worth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-easier-it-is-to-quantify-the-less-it-s-worth/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Developing expertise or assets that are not easily copied is essential; otherwise you're just a middleman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/developing-expertise-or-assets-that-are-not-easily-copied-is/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Leadership is a choice. It's the choice not to do nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/leadership-is-a-choice-it-s-the-choice-not-to-do-nothing/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The next thing you do today will be the most important thing on your agenda, because, after all, you're doing it next. Well, perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-next-thing-you-do-today-will-be-the-most-important-thing-on-your/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [I look at Starbucks, Howard Schultz has made many brilliant decisions, and one of the things that they did was they invented the third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/i-look-at-starbucks-howard-schultz-has-made-many-brilliant-decisions/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Be relentlessly generous, without focusing on when it will come back to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/be-relentlessly-generous-without-focusing-on-when-it-will-come-back/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The public square is more public than ever, but minds are rarely changed in 140 character bursts and by selfies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-public-square-is-more-public-than-ever-but-minds-are-rarely/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Making an average pitch to average people, or having an average gala for average people isn't going to scale anymore. You've got to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/making-an-average-pitch-to-average-people-or-having-an-average-gala/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Our job is to make change. Our job is to connect to people, to interact with them in a way that leaves them better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/our-job-is-to-make-change-our-job-is-to-connect-to-people-to-interact/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [“Life is actually far better than it is in the movies. And it takes longer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/life-is-actually-far-better-than-it-is-in-the-movies-and-it-takes/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [I don't think there's a shortage of remarkable ideas. I think your business has plenty of great opportunities to do great things. Nope, what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-shortage-of-remarkable-ideas-i-think-your/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The mirror we hold up to the person next to us is one of the most important pictures she will ever see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-mirror-we-hold-up-to-the-person-next-to-us-is-one-of-the-most/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [If you're a marketer who doesn't know how to invent, design, influence, adapt, and ultimately discard products, then you're no longer a marketer. You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/if-you-re-a-marketer-who-doesn-t-know-how-to-invent-design-influence/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) [Explore all 1,110 Seth Godin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) ## More Generous quotes > [Plenty of white space and generous line spacing,and don't make the type size too miserly. Then you will be assured of a product fit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giambattista-bodoni/plenty-of-white-space-and-generous-line-spacing-and-don-t-make-the/) [Giambattista Bodoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giambattista-bodoni/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [Friendship, "the wine of life," should, like a well-stocked cellar, be continually renewed; and it is consolatory to think, that although we can seldom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-boswell/friendship-the-wine-of-life-should-like-a-well-stocked-cellar-be/) [James Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-boswell/) > [If you take all the food aid, America is by far the most generous country. If you take the direct aid, we're very generous.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-you-take-all-the-food-aid-america-is-by-far-the-most-generous/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [“THE UNFORGIVEN Tell me if you've ever had to deal with these kinds of people: The kind who take and don't give. The kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/the-unforgiven-tell-me-if-you-ve-ever-had-to-deal-with-these-kinds-of/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [Generous in spirit, richly poetic, and packed with memorable characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-millman/generous-in-spirit-richly-poetic-and-packed-with-memorable-characters/) [Lawrence Millman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-millman/) > [As most New Yorkers have done, I have given serious and generous thought to the state of my apartment should I get killed during…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-crosley/as-most-new-yorkers-have-done-i-have-given-serious-and-generous/) [Sloane Crosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-crosley/) > [Love is the key to the mystery. Love by its very nature is not selfish, but generous. It seeks not its own, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/love-is-the-key-to-the-mystery-love-by-its-very-nature-is-not-selfish/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [SCIENCE! thou fair effusive ray From the great source of mental Day, Free, generous, and refin'd! Descend with all thy treasures fraught, Illumine each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-akenside/science-thou-fair-effusive-ray-from-the-great-source-of-mental-day/) [Mark Akenside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-akenside/) > [The American people are incredibly generous and even playful when you open yourself up and feed the media beast until it goes away satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krystal-ball/the-american-people-are-incredibly-generous-and-even-playful-when-you/) [Krystal Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krystal-ball/) > [If you're a generous person, when you get money and fame, you're going to be more generous. If you're a sharer, you're going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/if-you-re-a-generous-person-when-you-get-money-and-fame-you-re-going/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) > [Be relentlessly generous, without focusing on when it will come back to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/be-relentlessly-generous-without-focusing-on-when-it-will-come-back/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [You know, whenever women make imaginary female kingdoms in literature, they are always very permissive, to use the jargon word, and easy and generous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/you-know-whenever-women-make-imaginary-female-kingdoms-in-literature/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [In terms of the unemployed, of which we have over a million-and-a-half, don't feel particularly bad for many of these people. They don't feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-harper/in-terms-of-the-unemployed-of-which-we-have-over-a-million-and-a-half/) [Stephen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-harper/) > [Precise, graceful, and generous, the poems in SuperLoop, seem to be born out of a deep, careful attention and a profound compassion. Sometimes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-limon/precise-graceful-and-generous-the-poems-in-superloop-seem-to-be-born/) [Ada Limon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-limon/) [Browse all 1,450 Generous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generous/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Perfect can't possibly be the goal, we're left with generous, important and human instead.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Godin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/perfect-can-t-possibly-be-the-goal-we-re-left-with-generous-important/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Generous" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/perfect-can-t-possibly-be-the-goal-we-re-left-with-generous-important/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5c/seth-godin-152_generous_perfect-can-t-possibly-be-the-goal-we-re_2666990.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5c/seth-godin-152_generous_perfect-can-t-possibly-be-the-goal-we-re_2666990.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5c/seth-godin-152_generous_perfect-can-t-possibly-be-the-goal-we-re_2666990.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Perfect can't possibly be the goal, we're left with generous, important and human instead.” — Seth Godin", "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": "Seth Godin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Perfect can't possibly be the goal,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/perfect-can-t-possibly-be-the-goal-we-re-left-with-generous-important/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/perfect-can-t-possibly-be-the-goal-we-re-left-with-generous-important/#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 } } ] } ```