[I]f the question of perfection means wading through hell and back for some minuscule attempt to be better than you already are, because I love what I do, I see nothing wrong in that. I guess that’s what passion is about.
— Edrei Zahari of Footsteps in the Mirror, in response to Quality: When Enough is Enough
The desire to make something not just good, but perfect — especially when it comes to more esoteric pursuits, like composing music, or writing — is one which can become consuming to the point of stagnation. On the other hand, without that constant striving towards betterment and perfection, improvement, both particular and in the whole, is impossible. The easy thing would be to say “just strike a balance.”
This is complete bunk.
How about we agree that you should keep improving a work until the deadline or satisfaction, whichever comes first?
What ever happen to good enough? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principle_of_good_enough
That’s not good enough.
Seriously, though, good enough is sufficient if you’re just trying to get something to work. If you’re looking to get as close to your vision of perfection as possible, if your passion drives you to such lengths, then “good enough” isn’t.