---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because it's not perfect, let's not…"
description: "\"“Because it's not perfect, let's not bother.\" That's crazy! Even if we take three steps forward and two and a half back it's still going half a foot fo..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/stephen-fry-573_every-little-thing_because-it-s-not-perfect-let-s-not-bothe_1121541.png"
---

#  Because it's not perfect, let's not bother." That's crazy!…

![“Because it's not perfect, let's not bother.&quot; That's crazy! Even if we take three steps forward and two and a half back it's still going half a foot forward.” quote by Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/stephen-fry-573_every-little-thing_because-it-s-not-perfect-let-s-not-bothe_1121541.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/stephen-fry-573_every-little-thing_because-it-s-not-perfect-let-s-not-bothe_1121541.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/stephen-fry-573_every-little-thing_because-it-s-not-perfect-let-s-not-bothe_1121541.png)

> ““Because it's not perfect, let's not bother." That's crazy! Even if we take three steps forward and two and a half back it's still going half a foot forward.””

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Imperfect progress is still progress; small gains matter even when setbacks occur.

**In simple terms:** Small gains count despite flaws.

Key Takeaway

Embrace incremental improvement.

Themes

progress imperfection resilience

Mood

encouraging optimistic

Type

motivational philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal goals
- learning new skills
- fitness journeys

Key Concepts

incremental change growth mindset

Questions to Reflect On

- What small step can you take today?
- How do you celebrate minor victories?

A Different Perspective

Perfectionism can stall action.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improvement/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Steps forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steps-forward/)

## Related quotes

> [“I love you so much I hate you...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlene-carter/i-love-you-so-much-i-hate-you/)

[Carlene Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlene-carter/)

> [We don't have much wisdom about the second half when things really open up and end up looking a lot more progressive. In my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/we-don-t-have-much-wisdom-about-the-second-half-when-things-really/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [If you're going to do something, strive to do it better than anyone else. Do it all the way. If you're going to half-ass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashly-lorenzana/if-you-re-going-to-do-something-strive-to-do-it-better-than-anyone/)

[Ashly Lorenzana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashly-lorenzana/)

> [“Why start if you are going to do a half-assed job anyway?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monika-zands/why-start-if-you-are-going-to-do-a-half-assed-job-anyway/)

[Monika Zands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monika-zands/)

> [The first half of life is devoted to forming a healthy ego, the second half is going inward and letting go of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/the-first-half-of-life-is-devoted-to-forming-a-healthy-ego-the-second/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

> [“I'm a man. I have a 50/50 refrigerator. Half's what I'm going to eat. The rest's in there so it won't smell before I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-shircore/i-m-a-man-i-have-a-50-50-refrigerator-half-s-what-i-m-going-to-eat/)

Ian Shircore

> [When you discover you've been leading only half a life, the other half is going to haunt you until you develop it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/when-you-discover-you-ve-been-leading-only-half-a-life-the-other-half/)

[Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/)

> [You know you care about someone when half of what's going on in your mind, is just trying to figure out what's going on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-know-you-care-about-someone-when-half-of-what-s-going-on-in-your/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [You just need to go into matches with a clear plan in T20 cricket. If you go half-half, it's going to be really hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imran-tahir/you-just-need-to-go-into-matches-with-a-clear-plan-in-t20-cricket-if/)

[Imran Tahir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imran-tahir/)

> [I've wanted to put myself in that position to be the best wide receiver in the NFL, and I definitely think I'm putting my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deandre-hopkins/i-ve-wanted-to-put-myself-in-that-position-to-be-the-best-wide/)

[DeAndre Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deandre-hopkins/)

> [After having your first child, it's a massive shock to the system. I work in an industry where people judge you and the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-nurding/after-having-your-first-child-it-s-a-massive-shock-to-the-system-i/)

[Louise Nurding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-nurding/)

> [Putting your best foot forward at least keeps it out of your mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-mandel/putting-your-best-foot-forward-at-least-keeps-it-out-of-your-mouth/)

[Morris Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-mandel/)

> [I always try to put my best foot forward both inside and outside the ring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-torres/i-always-try-to-put-my-best-foot-forward-both-inside-and-outside-the/)

[Eve Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-torres/)

> [Work hard, love what you do, put your best foot forward and never forget the kid in you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-jeter/work-hard-love-what-you-do-put-your-best-foot-forward-and-never/)

[Derek Jeter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-jeter/)

> [I really tried to put my best foot forward all these years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhinav-bindra/i-really-tried-to-put-my-best-foot-forward-all-these-years/)

[Abhinav Bindra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhinav-bindra/)

## More by Stephen Fry

> [“...Catholic versus Protestant, essentially. It's that kind of fight. ... And it goes on to this day. Will we never learn? Who knows? Religion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/catholic-versus-protestant-essentially-it-s-that-kind-of-fight-and-it/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

> [How dare you? How dare you create a world in which there is such misery that is not our fault? It's not right, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/how-dare-you-how-dare-you-create-a-world-in-which-there-is-such/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

> [“Look at the kind of people who most object to the childishness and cheapness of celebrity culture. Does one really want to side with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/look-at-the-kind-of-people-who-most-object-to-the-childishness-and/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

> [“The object of love should feel honoured or flattered, responsible in some way. Instead he felt insulted, degraded and revolted. More than that, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/the-object-of-love-should-feel-honoured-or-flattered-responsible-in/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

> [The only people who are obsessed with food are anorexics and the morbidly obese. That, in erotic terms, is the Catholic church, in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/the-only-people-who-are-obsessed-with-food-are-anorexics-and-the/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

> [To me, reason is as spiritual as anything else, the beauty of reason seems to me indelible and ineffable and numinous... the spirit is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/to-me-reason-is-as-spiritual-as-anything-else-the-beauty-of-reason/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

> [The stranger might laugh and seem to enjoy the writing, but you hug to yourself the thought that they didn't quite understand its force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/the-stranger-might-laugh-and-seem-to-enjoy-the-writing-but-you-hug-to/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

> [“The future is a much bigger deal than the past,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/the-future-is-a-much-bigger-deal-than-the-past/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

> [I gather a repulsive nobody writing in a paper no one of any decency would be seen dead with has written something loathesome and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-gather-a-repulsive-nobody-writing-in-a-paper-no-one-of-any-decency/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

> [I've never had any illusions about being a lead actor in films, because lead actors have to be of a certain kind. Apart from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-ve-never-had-any-illusions-about-being-a-lead-actor-in-films/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

> [Because, let's face it, I do not get offered the parts that Brad Pitt has just turned down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/because-let-s-face-it-i-do-not-get-offered-the-parts-that-brad-pitt/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

> [I will defend the absolute value of Mozart over Miley Cyrus, of course I will, but we should be wary of false dichotomies. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-will-defend-the-absolute-value-of-mozart-over-miley-cyrus-of-course/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

> [You can't just say there is a god because the world is beautiful. You have to account for bone cancer in children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/you-can-t-just-say-there-is-a-god-because-the-world-is-beautiful-you/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

> [If you know someone who's depressed, please resolve never to ask them why. Depression isn't a straightforward response to a bad situation; depression just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/if-you-know-someone-who-s-depressed-please-resolve-never-to-ask-them/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

> [It's as if scientists exert every effort of will they possess deliberately to find the least significant problems in the world and explain them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/it-s-as-if-scientists-exert-every-effort-of-will-they-possess/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

[Explore all 466 Stephen Fry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

## More Every-little-thing quotes

> [“I love you so much I hate you...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlene-carter/i-love-you-so-much-i-hate-you/)

[Carlene Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlene-carter/)

Browse all 2 Every-little-thing quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Because it's not perfect, let's not bother.\" That's crazy! Even if we take three steps forward and two and a half back it's still going half a foot forward.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Stephen Fry"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/because-it-s-not-perfect-let-s-not-bother-that-s-crazy-even-if-we/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Every-little-thing"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/because-it-s-not-perfect-let-s-not-bother-that-s-crazy-even-if-we/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/stephen-fry-573_every-little-thing_because-it-s-not-perfect-let-s-not-bothe_1121541.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/stephen-fry-573_every-little-thing_because-it-s-not-perfect-let-s-not-bothe_1121541.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/stephen-fry-573_every-little-thing_because-it-s-not-perfect-let-s-not-bothe_1121541.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Because it's not perfect, let's not bother.\" That's crazy! Even if we take three steps forward and two and a…” — Stephen Fry",
                "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": "Stephen Fry",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Because it's not perfect, let's not...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/because-it-s-not-perfect-let-s-not-bother-that-s-crazy-even-if-we/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/because-it-s-not-perfect-let-s-not-bother-that-s-crazy-even-if-we/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
