Saturday, February 10, 2007

Doing things well

I googled "If a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing well," to find out who said it first. I didn't find out, but I did find a surprise: many argue against it! And many find it to be the motto of a perfectionist.
Well, that's just nonsense. "Doing things well" is not the same as "doing things perfectly", not by a long stretch.
Doing something well usually does not take much more work than doing it poorly, and it makes the doer proud, gives pleasure to those who see the result, and it ensures that the job will not need to be done again soon.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

So striving to do Coltrane's 'Straight No Chaser' perfectly doesn't mean not playing it publicly until I get there. Actually, that gives me a lot of solice. Still it is something to strive for.

Anonymous said...

I googled "If a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing well," to find out who said it first. I didn't find out, but I did find a surprise: many argue against it!

Depends on what "you are doing" in the first place. Different circumstances for different situations.
I once had to perform a chore as punishment for something I did not do to start with so I half-assed it out of rebellion. (I was young then but nevertheless I think you understand.)
For the most part I agree with doing it right the first time.

Anonymous said...

There are no thoughts of perfection or failure, only the task and the methods they need to use to get it done. Lucid claims.

I respectfully disagree with you.
Motivation is based upon belief itself and thoughts of success and failure are always at hand. Weighing the risks of anything is a common denominator.

Anonymous said...

The french version sounds extremely familiar to me, but I didn't manage to find its source either. No big surprise, with my crummy connection...
But maybe it IS originally a french maxim. Those interested may use their better connection with free unlimited online time to search for "mérite d'être fait mérite d'être bien fait". Good luck with that. :-)

Anonymous said...

Depends on what "you are doing" in the first place.

Yes, very true. If you were a P.O.W. during WW2 a captured soldier certaintly wouldn't put forth his best effort (knowingly) to assist the enemy. RE: building technical equipment, designing plans to enable bombs to go off, ect.
Of course he would "act" like he was putting forth his best effort to fool the enemy and to spare his life, and if need be he would also give his life for his country as well.
Yes, it's always a two-way street in life.

Anonymous said...

Talbert Hughes,
"Bridge on River Kwai", eh?
At first, I felt this film was very dumb. But it wasn't at all. It gets one thinking, a lot.