--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's really no way to be perfect…" description: "\"There's really no way to be perfect. Perfectionism is a silly trait to have, so in a lot of ways that inspired the world of 'Divergent,' in which every..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f13/veronica-roth-66_divergent_there-s-really-no-way-to-be-perfect-perf_2952354.png" --- # There's really no way to be perfect. Perfectionism is a… ![“There's really no way to be perfect. Perfectionism is a silly trait to have, so in a lot of ways that inspired the world of 'Divergent,' in which everyone is striving toward that ideal and falling short of it.” quote by Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f13/veronica-roth-66_divergent_there-s-really-no-way-to-be-perfect-perf_2952354.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f13/veronica-roth-66_divergent_there-s-really-no-way-to-be-perfect-perf_2952354.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f13/veronica-roth-66_divergent_there-s-really-no-way-to-be-perfect-perf_2952354.png) > “There's really no way to be perfect. Perfectionism is a silly trait to have, so in a lot of ways that inspired the world of 'Divergent,' in which everyone is striving toward that ideal and falling short of it.” [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Perfectionism is unrealistic; striving for an ideal leads to inevitable failure, yet fuels progress. **In simple terms:** Perfection is impossible; try anyway. Key Takeaway Embrace imperfection, keep improving. Themes perfectionism growth failure Mood inspirational realistic Type self‑help literary When to use this quote - education - career development - creative projects - personal health Key Concepts psychology motivation Questions to Reflect On - How to balance ambition and self‑compassion? - What defines “good enough”? A Different Perspective Perfection can motivate. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [Perfectionism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfectionism/) [Silly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silly/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [There is nothing perfect, no one can be perfect, and perfectionism is something you shouldn't chase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-crahan/there-is-nothing-perfect-no-one-can-be-perfect-and-perfectionism-is/) [Shawn Crahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-crahan/) > [“If you are constantly afraid of messing up, it is very unlikely that you will be successful in life because the world which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taskinsoy/if-you-are-constantly-afraid-of-messing-up-it-is-very-unlikely-that/) [John Taskinsoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taskinsoy/) > [I'll be your family now." ~ Tobis 'Four](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-ll-be-your-family-now-tobis-four/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [If you are really one of us, it won't matter to you that you might fail. And if it does, you are a coward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/if-you-are-really-one-of-us-it-won-t-matter-to-you-that-you-might/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“We're sorry for frightening you, Tris,' another voice says, 'but anonymity is integral to our operation. We mean you no harm.' 'Let go of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/we-re-sorry-for-frightening-you-tris-another-voice-says-but-anonymity/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Yes," Marcus says. "I understand that you are concerned -- that you all are concerned. You had never heard of the Divergent a week…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/yes-marcus-says-i-understand-that-you-are-concerned-that-you-all-are/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“She is a woman of muscle twisted around bone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/she-is-a-woman-of-muscle-twisted-around-bone/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [But now I’m wondering if I need it anymore, if we ever really need these words, “Dauntless,” “Erudite,” “Divergent,” “Allegiant,” or if we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/but-now-i-m-wondering-if-i-need-it-anymore-if-we-ever-really-need/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“He is a part of me, always will be, and I am a part of him, too. I don’t belong to Abnegation, or Dauntless,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/he-is-a-part-of-me-always-will-be-and-i-am-a-part-of-him-too-i-don-t/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“i am divergent”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-am-divergent/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Intentions are the only thing they care about. They try to make you think they care about what you do, but they don't. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/intentions-are-the-only-thing-they-care-about-they-try-to-make-you/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“It must require bravery to be honest all the time. I wouldn't know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/it-must-require-bravery-to-be-honest-all-the-time-i-wouldn-t-know/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [It's when you're acting selflessly that you are at your bravest." --Four in Divergent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/it-s-when-you-re-acting-selflessly-that-you-are-at-your-bravest-four/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [From your results I have determined that you are one of the strongest Divergent, which I say not to compliment you but to explain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/from-your-results-i-have-determined-that-you-are-one-of-the-strongest/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“I was beginning to feel that I had finally found a place to stay, a place that was not so unstable or corrupt or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-was-beginning-to-feel-that-i-had-finally-found-a-place-to-stay-a/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) ## More by Veronica Roth > [How strange that something so simple could have been instrumental in my decision to ruin one of my most relationships and friendships, and damage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/how-strange-that-something-so-simple-could-have-been-instrumental-in/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“I was beginning to feel that I had finally found a place to stay, a place that was not so unstable or corrupt or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-was-beginning-to-feel-that-i-had-finally-found-a-place-to-stay-a/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“He acts so tough that he’s probably afraid of marshmallows and really bright sunrises or something. Overcompensating.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/he-acts-so-tough-that-he-s-probably-afraid-of-marshmallows-and-really/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [And is it selfish of me to crave victory, or is it brave?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/and-is-it-selfish-of-me-to-crave-victory-or-is-it-brave/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [You always look like someone's sucked the life right out of you when something fascinates you. -Tris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/you-always-look-like-someone-s-sucked-the-life-right-out-of-you-when/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“We can be mended. We mend each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/we-can-be-mended-we-mend-each-other/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Don’t worry about me handling the pain," I say. "I’ve had a lot of practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/don-t-worry-about-me-handling-the-pain-i-say-i-ve-had-a-lot-of/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Soon I will honor my parents by dying as they died. and if all they believed about death was true, soon I will join…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/soon-i-will-honor-my-parents-by-dying-as-they-died-and-if-all-they/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Mas lembre-se, já agora, que por vezes as pessoas que oprimimos tornam-se mais poderosas do que nós gostaríamos.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/mas-lembre-se-j-agora-que-por-vezes-as-pessoas-que-oprimimos-tornam/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“am aware of how little space there is between us—six inches at most. That space feels charged with electricity. I feel like it should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/am-aware-of-how-little-space-there-is-between-us-six-inches-at-most/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Oh, good,” I say, a sour taste in my mouth. “Heroism is what I was focused on. Not, you know, trying not to die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/oh-good-i-say-a-sour-taste-in-my-mouth-heroism-is-what-i-was-focused/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Caleb frowns at him. "How old are you, anyway?" "Eighteen." "And you don't think you're too old to be with my little sister?" Tobias…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/caleb-frowns-at-him-how-old-are-you-anyway-eighteen-and-you-don-t/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [What do you think they're going to do to us when they find us guilty?" she says after a few minutes of silence have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/what-do-you-think-they-re-going-to-do-to-us-when-they-find-us-guilty/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“La paz está restringida, eso es libertad”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/la-paz-est-restringida-eso-es-libertad/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [In some parts of the ancient world, the hawk symbolized the sun. Back when I got this, I figured if I always had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/in-some-parts-of-the-ancient-world-the-hawk-symbolized-the-sun-back/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) [Explore all 1,589 Veronica Roth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) ## More Divergent quotes > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was in good shape from Divergent. Damien Chazelle, the director of Whiplash told me, ‘Stop Working Out! Don’t go outside!’ He wanted me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-teller/i-was-in-good-shape-from-divergent-damien-chazelle-the-director-of/) [Miles Teller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-teller/) > [“I was beginning to feel that I had finally found a place to stay, a place that was not so unstable or corrupt or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-was-beginning-to-feel-that-i-had-finally-found-a-place-to-stay-a/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Preparation eradicates cowardice, which we define as the failure to act in the midst of fear…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/four-from-divergent/preparation-eradicates-cowardice-which-we-define-as-the-failure-to/) Four from Divergent > [I believe it is essential to have English as the official language of our National Government, for the English language is the tie that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-sensenbrenner/i-believe-it-is-essential-to-have-english-as-the-official-language-of/) [Jim Sensenbrenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-sensenbrenner/) > [From your results I have determined that you are one of the strongest Divergent, which I say not to compliment you but to explain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/from-your-results-i-have-determined-that-you-are-one-of-the-strongest/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [It's when you're acting selflessly that you are at your bravest." --Four in Divergent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/it-s-when-you-re-acting-selflessly-that-you-are-at-your-bravest-four/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“It must require bravery to be honest all the time. I wouldn't know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/it-must-require-bravery-to-be-honest-all-the-time-i-wouldn-t-know/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Music creates order out of chaos: for rhythm imposes unanimity upon the divergent, melody imposes continuity upon the disjointed, and harmony imposes compatibility upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yehudi-menuhin/music-creates-order-out-of-chaos-for-rhythm-imposes-unanimity-upon/) [Yehudi Menuhin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yehudi-menuhin/) > [“Intentions are the only thing they care about. They try to make you think they care about what you do, but they don't. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/intentions-are-the-only-thing-they-care-about-they-try-to-make-you/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Divergent thinking is that one starts thinking from one point and expands from there to generate more ideas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/divergent-thinking-is-that-one-starts-thinking-from-one-point-and/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [Not long time ago there was a striking example of the extent to which English has diverged: a television company put out a programme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-trask/not-long-time-ago-there-was-a-striking-example-of-the-extent-to-which/) [Larry Trask](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-trask/) > [When I was auditioning for Divergent, I was kind of in the dumps. I wasn't really happy with acting, and I didn't know if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-madsen/when-i-was-auditioning-for-divergent-i-was-kind-of-in-the-dumps-i/) [Christian Madsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-madsen/) > [“i am divergent”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-am-divergent/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“He is a part of me, always will be, and I am a part of him, too. I don’t belong to Abnegation, or Dauntless,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/he-is-a-part-of-me-always-will-be-and-i-am-a-part-of-him-too-i-don-t/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) Browse all 194 Divergent quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's really no way to be perfect. Perfectionism is a silly trait to have, so in a lot of ways that inspired the world of 'Divergent,' in which everyone is striving toward that ideal and falling short of it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Veronica Roth" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/there-s-really-no-way-to-be-perfect-perfectionism-is-a-silly-trait-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Divergent" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/there-s-really-no-way-to-be-perfect-perfectionism-is-a-silly-trait-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f13/veronica-roth-66_divergent_there-s-really-no-way-to-be-perfect-perf_2952354.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f13/veronica-roth-66_divergent_there-s-really-no-way-to-be-perfect-perf_2952354.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f13/veronica-roth-66_divergent_there-s-really-no-way-to-be-perfect-perf_2952354.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There's really no way to be perfect. Perfectionism is a silly trait to have, so in a lot of ways that…” — Veronica Roth", "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": "Veronica Roth", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There's really no way to be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/there-s-really-no-way-to-be-perfect-perfectionism-is-a-silly-trait-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/there-s-really-no-way-to-be-perfect-perfectionism-is-a-silly-trait-to/#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 } } ] } ```