Striving for excellence uses a meaningful standard and feedback; an impossible perfection rule can keep raising the standard after each improvement. Judge the requirement by the task, rather than treating ambition itself as a problem.
Compare the operations, not a score
| Question or field | Fictional completed example |
|---|---|
| Essential standard? | Usable and safe mug |
| Craft improvement? | More even glaze |
| Impossible rule? | Every viewer must admire it |
| Release evidence? | Required checks completed |
| Later revision? | Next batch glaze test |
A worked situation: Usable and safe mug
Fictional example. A potter tests whether a mug is functional and safe, then improves its glaze in a later batch. Demanding a flawless artistic identity before offering any mug postpones the work without improving this batch's safety.
Compare the stopping conditions
Striving for excellence can accept a defined standard, deliver the work, and improve it after feedback. An impossible rule can prevent delivery even when the necessary checks are complete. In your comparison, write what would count as enough in each column. High standards alone do not establish a problem; an endlessly moving finish line is the operational distinction used here.