John Steinbeck Quotes

It's all about perfection, isn't it?

I am incapable of mediocrity.

There is no room in the world, as you say, for second rate work.

It is a wretched taste to be gratified with mediocrity when the excellent lies before us.

The idea for which this nation stands will not survive if the highest goal free man can set themselves is an amiable mediocrity. Excellence implies striving for the highest standards in every phase of life.

When you have had a taste of excellence, you cannot go back to mediocrity.

The goal is always to do B material in an A fashion.

To me, the only sin is mediocrity.

I'm constantly looking for perfection.

Excellence is the accumulation of hundreds of minute decisions; it is execution at the most granular level. Once you accept the idea that you should give in to things that make no sense because other people do those things and you want to appear reasonable, you are on a path towards mediocrity.

Good is not good, where better is expected

Don't settle for mediocrity; never let good enough be good enough.

Make no compromise in quality.

Strive for perfection - never be content with mediocrity. You don't win until you conquer the little flaws. You don't beat these great ones until your form is perfect. This is true in all of life. A flaw in a product can ruin a business. A personal failing, a little one, can ruin a person's life. Don't be content with mediocrity - strive to live up to the greatest within you.

Nothing is more expensive than mediocrity.

Excellence costs a great deal.

If you can't do it and do it well, you can't do it, period.

Only mediocrity can be trusted to be always at its best.

The world doesn't need any more mediocrity or hedged bets.

Quality is easy to talk but hard to make.

When you write something it has to hit the level that you accept as being good.

Good enough never is.

Quality survives.

My philosophy all my life has been the pursuit of excellence.

The better a work is, the more it attracts criticism; it is like the fleas who rush to jump on white linens.