A worn pink eraser stands on a brass pedestal beside green smudges against deep teal.

Original artwork, not a still

"La Bégueule" (Contes, 1772)

Voltaire

The best is the enemy of the good.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

Chasing the ideal can wreck what is already perfectly acceptable. The saying warns that insisting on the very best may lead us to reject, delay or spoil a solution that would have served well. It is a plea for settling on good enough rather than endlessly polishing.

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