I guess I am just venting here ☠️ Had a bit of a conversation on a FB woodworking page that had this hook line Woodworking gets easier when you stop chasing perfection . There were folks on both sides of the topic and it kind of bothered me that some will strive for perfection only to be dissappointed falling short of the mark. Sadly the folks that seem to want it most look like they may have the longest journey before them. The only result seems to strip the endless joy from making sawdust. Simply I beleive the crusade for perfection should not exist which bent my ire into this.....................Chasing perfection is such an unfortunate term. Perfection is something that is always creating a greater distance between you and your work. It is like an oasis off in the shimmering distance taunting you to run harder toward a reality that simply fades away the closer you get. STOP chasing perfection like an oasis of achievement, instead take pride in every project big or small and challenge yourself to have a lesson learned that you take into your next project.

Edited July 2Jul 2 by calabrese55

My opinion of "perfection", is that it is not perfect fitting joinery, or a perfect glossy surface, etc.. The perfect things I've made are those that my eyes and those of others agree are fine pieces of work. Easy on the eyes. Functional with no distracting "almost" or "nearly' that might amend that comment. Details that agree with each other that they belong together on that piece. Appropriate for where the piece will end up and live. A pleasant distraction for those that enter the room where it lives. A discussion starter every now and then. A story it has that some can read from just looking at it. And 40 years later the piece still possesses all the above traits.

Most of the pieces I've made were far from perfect. They are mostly but not joyfully functional. Fun to imagine. Fun to make. Not memorable enough to still make me smile when I see them years later. I don't set about chasing perfection. Sometimes I accidently reach it.

Edited July 2Jul 2 by 4DThinker

Totally agree.

A video, from Mike peace, posted in yesterday's "Wednesday's Wisdom..." is sorta along those lines.

I try to improve with each new project/experiment. Are they perfect, NO, nut I had fun doing them and always learn something new,

we are imperfect men (and women), working with finite resources, applying force to imperfect materials, trying to make something with beauty and utility. don't like what i make, do it yourself. and get off my lawn.

I think we can take a lesson from Vince Lombardi:

Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence. 😄

2 hours ago, lew said:

Totally agree.

A video, from Mike peace, posted in yesterday's "Wednesday's Wisdom..." is sorta along those lines.

I try to improve with each new project/experiment. Are they perfect, NO, nut I had fun doing them and always learn something new,

Now there is the wisdom that works. Thanks for the vid Lew

A doctor friend often says "the perfect is the enemy of the good." I recall that it unnerved me a bit, but I guess it does make some sense. He's an anesthesiologist.

37 minutes ago, JimM said:

A doctor friend often says "the perfect is the enemy of the good." I recall that it unnerved me a bit, but I guess it does make some sense. He's an anesthesiologist.

In my last surgery, I asked the anesthesiologist if I could adminster the anesthetic. He said, "Sure, knock yourself out."

The manager at a local industrial wood supplier once told me that a guy (probably an engineer) wanted some wood planed +- 0.003". He said he could have that done, but only if he measured it right off the planer. As the humidity, or lack of, hit the wood, the EMC (equilibrium moisture content) would cause the wood to expand or contract.

Also, one of the editors of wood magazine was doing a session at a woodworking show years ago. His advice was, "Never show anyone your errors, only you know it's there."

Ok, I'll let myself out now.

It's not perfection to pursue but rather doing your best while the most important of all is enjoying the journey.

plus or minus 1/32" is about as fine as i work. too big, get a hammer; too small, more glue and sawdust.

5 hours ago, kmealy said:

In my last surgery, I asked the anesthesiologist if I could adminster the anesthetic. He said, "Sure, knock yourself out."

🤣

In some areas of my life, I used to be a perfectionist, and let me tell ya, it's stifling and restrictive and I'd end up floundering to the point of nothing getting done, it definitely has no place in an environment where things need to get done.

Imagine all the wonderful projects that never get off the ground because perfection seems so hard to attain for many. I agree, no place in woodworking for it, but, as Rick basically said, nothing wrong with striving to do your best. And, while at it, if perfection is accidentally attained, then it's really special!

12 hours ago, John Morris said:

it's stifling and restrictive and I'd end up floundering to the point of nothing getting done,

"Paralysis by analisis" is @Gunny saying. That phrase has freed up my brain a few times.

A framer cuts to the nearest 1/4"

A finish carpenter to the nearest 1/16"

A cabinetmaker to the nearest 1/32"

A boat maker to the nearest boat.

And sometimes consistency is more important than accuracy.

6 minutes ago, kmealy said:

And sometimes consistency is more important than accuracy

So what if you're consistent in error it can be more important than accuracy? 🙂

Edited July 4Jul 4 by MrRick

On 7/4/2026 at 9:50 AM, MrRick said:

So what if you're consistent in error it can be more important than accuracy? 🙂

"sometimes" is the key word.

Let's say you are cutting table legs. Suppose one is 1/16" short and one is 1/16" long. Is that better than they are all consistently 1/8" over?

Same thing if you are mitering box sides or picture frames.