--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Perfection is attained by slow degrees…" description: "\"Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the hand of time.\" — Voltaire" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/214/voltaire-173_excellence_perfection-is-attained-by-slow-degrees-i_1146247.png" --- # Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the… ![“Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the hand of time.” quote by Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/214/voltaire-173_excellence_perfection-is-attained-by-slow-degrees-i_1146247.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/214/voltaire-173_excellence_perfection-is-attained-by-slow-degrees-i_1146247.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/214/voltaire-173_excellence_perfection-is-attained-by-slow-degrees-i_1146247.png) > “Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the hand of time.” [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Perfection comes gradually, shaped by time’s patient influence. **In simple terms:** Perfection needs time and patience. Key Takeaway Embrace slow, steady improvement. Themes patience growth perfection Mood reflective calm Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - skill mastery - artistic creation - personal development - long‑term projects Key Concepts incremental development temporal influence Questions to Reflect On - How can you allow time to shape your work? - What small steps build toward mastery? A Different Perspective Rapid change may overlook depth and nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attained Slow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attained-slow-3217592/) [Excellence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellence/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [Perfection Attained](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection-attained-1841504/) [Requires Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/requires-hand-3217593/) [Slow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slow/) [Slow Degrees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slow-degrees-2801632/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Perfection is not to be attained, it is already within us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/perfection-is-not-to-be-attained-it-is-already-within-us/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Every one, though born of God in an instant, yet undoubtedly grows by slow degrees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/every-one-though-born-of-god-in-an-instant-yet-undoubtedly-grows-by/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [Perfection is attained, not when no more can be added, but when no more can be removed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/perfection-is-attained-not-when-no-more-can-be-added-but-when-no-more/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [A man may sink by such slow degrees that, long after he is a devil, he may go on being a good churchman or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/a-man-may-sink-by-such-slow-degrees-that-long-after-he-is-a-devil-he/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [We have not wings we cannot soar; but, we have feet to scale and climb, by slow degrees, by more and more, the cloudy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/we-have-not-wings-we-cannot-soar-but-we-have-feet-to-scale-and-climb/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [Perfection can never be attained by work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/perfection-can-never-be-attained-by-work/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [I'm not one of those James Joyce intellectuals who can stand back and look at the whole edifice... 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The pursuit of excellence is commendable and worthwhile.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kulwicki/the-pursuit-of-perfection-is-frustrating-and-a-waste-of-time-because/) [Alan Kulwicki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kulwicki/) > [“But young men have not only this frivolous ambition of being thought masters of execution, inciting them on the one hand, but also their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-young-men-have-not-only-this-frivolous-ambition-of-being-thought/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Many humanists have argued that happiness involves a combination of hedonism and creative moral development; that an exuberant life fuses excellence and enjoyment, meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/many-humanists-have-argued-that-happiness-involves-a-combination-of/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [You learn a lot from quality players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marouane-fellaini/you-learn-a-lot-from-quality-players/) [Marouane Fellaini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marouane-fellaini/) > [Our civilization, bequeathed to us by fierce adventurers, eaters of meat and hunters, is so full of hurry and combat, so busy about many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/our-civilization-bequeathed-to-us-by-fierce-adventurers-eaters-of/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [“In your goals to go the extra mile, prepare to pay an extra cost. 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Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [We may be masters of our every lot By bearing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil/we-may-be-masters-of-our-every-lot-by-bearing-it/) [Virgil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil/) > [Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/quality-means-doing-it-right-when-no-one-is-looking/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [We cannot all be masters, nor all masters Cannot be truly followed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/we-cannot-all-be-masters-nor-all-masters-cannot-be-truly-followed/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Leadership, pure and simple, is the assumption of responsibility for the pursuit of excellence in group life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-selznick/leadership-pure-and-simple-is-the-assumption-of-responsibility-for/) [Philip Selznick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-selznick/) > [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/) [Browse all 4,187 Excellence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the hand of time.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Voltaire" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/perfection-is-attained-by-slow-degrees-it-requires-the-hand-of-time/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Excellence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/perfection-is-attained-by-slow-degrees-it-requires-the-hand-of-time/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/214/voltaire-173_excellence_perfection-is-attained-by-slow-degrees-i_1146247.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/214/voltaire-173_excellence_perfection-is-attained-by-slow-degrees-i_1146247.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/214/voltaire-173_excellence_perfection-is-attained-by-slow-degrees-i_1146247.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the hand of time.” — Voltaire", "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": "Voltaire", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Perfection is attained by slow degrees;...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/perfection-is-attained-by-slow-degrees-it-requires-the-hand-of-time/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/perfection-is-attained-by-slow-degrees-it-requires-the-hand-of-time/#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 } } ] } ```