--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be perfect is to be doing the best you…" description: "\"“To be perfect is to be doing the best you can under the circumstances you are in.”\" — Stephen Robinson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b6/stephen-robinson-101469_circumstances_to-be-perfect-is-to-be-doing-the-best-yo_837393.jpg" --- # To be perfect is to be doing the best you can under the… ![“To be perfect is to be doing the best you can under the circumstances you are in.” quote by Stephen Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b6/stephen-robinson-101469_circumstances_to-be-perfect-is-to-be-doing-the-best-yo_837393.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b6/stephen-robinson-101469_circumstances_to-be-perfect-is-to-be-doing-the-best-yo_837393.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b6/stephen-robinson-101469_circumstances_to-be-perfect-is-to-be-doing-the-best-yo_837393.jpg) > ““To be perfect is to be doing the best you can under the circumstances you are in.”” Stephen Robinson ## 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 doing one's best given current circumstances. **In simple terms:** Do your best in current situation. Key Takeaway Focus on effort, not ideal. Themes perfection effort circumstances self‑improvement realism Mood motivational pragmatic Type Circumstances:1 Perfect:0 Doing Best:0 Perfect Doing:0 Best Circumstances:0 When to use this quote - workplace performance - personal growth - sports coaching Key Concepts goal setting mindset resilience Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure success? - What limits your best effort? A Different Perspective Ideal perfection is unattainable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [There is nothing more perfect than doing your best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-fesler/there-is-nothing-more-perfect-than-doing-your-best/) [Wes Fesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-fesler/) > [“If who you are and what you have is what you want, that's perfect. Keep doing what you've been doing and you'll get more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/if-who-you-are-and-what-you-have-is-what-you-want-that-s-perfect-keep/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [When you know you are doing your very best within the circumstances of your existence, applaud yourself!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-berkus/when-you-know-you-are-doing-your-very-best-within-the-circumstances/) Rusty Berkus > [I've always had a determination to perfect whatever I'm doing. If I can't do something, I work on it until I figure it out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-gilmore/i-ve-always-had-a-determination-to-perfect-whatever-i-m-doing-if-i/) [Stephanie Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-gilmore/) > [“Come! Let us make that bargain. Think of me at my best, if circumstances should ever part us!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/come-let-us-make-that-bargain-think-of-me-at-my-best-if-circumstances/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“though what bird in the best of circumstances does not look a little stricken?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/though-what-bird-in-the-best-of-circumstances-does-not-look-a-little/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [“We are homeless enough in this world under the best of circumstances without going to any special effort to test our capacity to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-edmund-stearns/we-are-homeless-enough-in-this-world-under-the-best-of-circumstances/) [Harold Edmund Stearns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-edmund-stearns/) > [I'm just trying to do my best in the circumstances and am very happy for everyone else to do the same so I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-bashir/i-m-just-trying-to-do-my-best-in-the-circumstances-and-am-very-happy/) [Martin Bashir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-bashir/) > [I just do the best I can under the circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-just-do-the-best-i-can-under-the-circumstances/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [You can't always get the perfect moment. Sometimes, you just have to do the best you can under the circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/you-can-t-always-get-the-perfect-moment-sometimes-you-just-have-to-do/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [In storm of life face it with dignity & grace,making the best of circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/in-storm-of-life-face-it-with-dignity-grace-making-the-best-of/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [The ideal man bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-ideal-man-bears-the-accidents-of-life-with-dignity-and-grace/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Let us be not the creatures of circumstances, but rather a creator of circumstances making the best of circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-mamerto/let-us-be-not-the-creatures-of-circumstances-but-rather-a-creator-of/) [Edwin Mamerto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-mamerto/) > [Even under the best of circumstances, there's just something so damn tragic about growing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/even-under-the-best-of-circumstances-there-s-just-something-so-damn/) [Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/) > [There were in life rarely, if ever, "right" decisions, never perfect ones, only the best to be made under the circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-waldman/there-were-in-life-rarely-if-ever-right-decisions-never-perfect-ones/) [Amy Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-waldman/) ## More by Stephen Robinson > [“Do you ever get really excited about life and then realize it’s just the caffeine? It’s really depressing, but that just means you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-robinson/do-you-ever-get-really-excited-about-life-and-then-realize-it-s-just/) Stephen Robinson Explore all 2 Stephen Robinson quotes ## More Circumstances quotes > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [Jobs and money are never the primary cause of stress. Thinking, negative thinking causes stress. The real cause of all problems lie in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/jobs-and-money-are-never-the-primary-cause-of-stress-thinking/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Although under particular circumstances, the violence method - any method - can be justified, nevertheless once you commit violence, then counterviolence will be returned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/although-under-particular-circumstances-the-violence-method-any/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Trust is about keeping commitments, but in many instances, circumstances change and organizations therefore shed commitments, things such as retiree medical benefits, pension obligations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-pfeffer/trust-is-about-keeping-commitments-but-in-many-instances/) [Jeffrey Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-pfeffer/) > [The fortunate circumstances of our lives are generally found, at last, to be of our own producing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/the-fortunate-circumstances-of-our-lives-are-generally-found-at-last/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [“The set of circumstances that justifies the use of deadly force is a situation of immediate danger of death or great bodily harm to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massad-ayoob/the-set-of-circumstances-that-justifies-the-use-of-deadly-force-is-a/) [Massad Ayoob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massad-ayoob/) > [My sister-in-law works for a group that supports orphanages in Cairo. She and her colleagues take care of children left behind by circumstances beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/my-sister-in-law-works-for-a-group-that-supports-orphanages-in-cairo/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [It's impossible to know who Donald might have been under different circumstances and with different parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-l-trump/it-s-impossible-to-know-who-donald-might-have-been-under-different/) [Mary L. Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-l-trump/) > [When we watch a play under the standard circumstances, we've lost volition and time is passing. A still play feels like an existential threat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-greenberg/when-we-watch-a-play-under-the-standard-circumstances-we-ve-lost/) [Richard Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-greenberg/) > [Being positive helps you to keep away negative thoughts. And helps you to stand in adverse circumstances with the hope that in the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/being-positive-helps-you-to-keep-away-negative-thoughts-and-helps-you/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [It seemed to me that the human beings I met reacted pretty much the same to the same stimuli. Different idioms,yes. Circumstances and conditions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/it-seemed-to-me-that-the-human-beings-i-met-reacted-pretty-much-the/) [Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/) > [I don't think you would have missed that putt, but in these circumstances, I would never give you the opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-don-t-think-you-would-have-missed-that-putt-but-in-these/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [I used to think I could shape the circumstances around me, but now I know Jesus uses circumstances to shape me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/i-used-to-think-i-could-shape-the-circumstances-around-me-but-now-i/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [Instead of complaining about your circumstances, get busy creating new ones. You either suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-complaining-about-your-circumstances-get-busy-creating-new/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) Browse all 4,560 Circumstances quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To be perfect is to be doing the best you can under the circumstances you are in.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen Robinson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-robinson/to-be-perfect-is-to-be-doing-the-best-you-can-under-the-circumstances/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Circumstances" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-robinson/to-be-perfect-is-to-be-doing-the-best-you-can-under-the-circumstances/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b6/stephen-robinson-101469_circumstances_to-be-perfect-is-to-be-doing-the-best-yo_837393.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b6/stephen-robinson-101469_circumstances_to-be-perfect-is-to-be-doing-the-best-yo_837393.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b6/stephen-robinson-101469_circumstances_to-be-perfect-is-to-be-doing-the-best-yo_837393.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To be perfect is to be doing the best you can under the circumstances you are in.” — Stephen Robinson", "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 Robinson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-robinson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“To be perfect is to be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-robinson/to-be-perfect-is-to-be-doing-the-best-you-can-under-the-circumstances/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-robinson/to-be-perfect-is-to-be-doing-the-best-you-can-under-the-circumstances/#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 } } ] } ```