Perfection

[KarateChris]

I practice karate. One karate maxim is "Seek perfection". I've heard people say things like "Perfect is the enemy of good". I think that both are valid statements. If you try to be perfect and will settle for nothing less, I think it's going to be very discouraging. If you "seek" perfection knowing that you will never attain it, you will get better at whatever you are trying to perfect (karate, bass, etc). The saying is "Seek perfection and you will pass excellence along the way." Nothing is perfect, but strive for perfection anyway. I am sure there are many acomplished bass players here, did you get so good by seeking mediocrity? How did you improve? I think the difference is in "trying" to be perfect vs "expecting" to be perfect. Thoughts? Comments? Disagreement? Trying to have a friendly conversation here.

 

[MonetBass]

This is an excellent discussion point. As my college bass teacher said, "Perfect practice makes perfect", a modification to the common saying. In other words, if you're playing something incorrectly and keep practicing it that way, it will never get better. That made me identify the problem spots in certain pieces and practice them efficiently and effectively (slow at first, then gradually up to tempo). As in the corporate world, you set goals to give yourself a target. You may or may not hit it, but if it's not there, you won't know where to aim.

 

[Gorn]

It's a semantics game. What's perfection? We're not robots. You can try to do something well or not. Am I missing something?

 

[bholder]

It's a semantics game. What's perfection? We're not robots. You can try to do something well or not. Am I missing something?

"Do or Do Not. There is no try." - Yoda

 

[KarateChris]

It's a semantics game. What's perfection? We're not robots. You can try to do something well or not. Am I missing something?

You missed nothing. Yes, well put a semantics game.

 

[KarateChris]

"Do or Do Not. There is no try." - Yoda

Exactly!

 

[JRA]

Trying to have a friendly conversation here.

here are two cents:
perfection as a player = attainable for short periods.
perfection as a group of players = easier to achieve and attainable, regularly, but never constantly.
perfection as a music creator = the holy grail: achieved mostly by accident/luck.

as corny as it may sound: i think we're better off (as musicians) when we seek truth. i'd rather play with cats who know how to play 'authentically' than with those who know how to play the rudiments/etudes perfectly.....!

 

[Paulabass]

They landed the last Mars mission within 200 yards of the predicted site, among van sized rocks.
There are days that I feel like landing the note I'm heading for within three semitones of the root is good enough

 

[jthisdell]

Important to have a goal and try to improve BUT not get too frustrated when you can't achieve "perfection" in your time frame. Too high of expectations will lead to frustration and burnout.

 

[S-Bigbottom]

I can dig it.

When you seek perfection you can achieve great things during your pursuit. Though perfection is never really achieved, you will be better off then if you started your journey never reached for anything.

did you get so good by seeking mediocrity?

That is a good line.

 

[Trouztrouz]

They say that the pen is mightier than the sword.

They also say that actions speak louder than words.

Such is the way of one-sentence philosophy.

 

[LBS-bass]

I practice karate. One karate maxim is "Seek perfection". I've heard people say things like "Perfect is the enemy of good". I think that both are valid statements. If you try to be perfect and will settle for nothing less, I think it's going to be very discouraging. If you "seek" perfection knowing that you will never attain it, you will get better at whatever you are trying to perfect (karate, bass, etc). The saying is "Seek perfection and you will pass excellence along the way." Nothing is perfect, but strive for perfection anyway. I am sure there are many acomplished bass players here, did you get so good by seeking mediocrity? How did you improve? I think the difference is in "trying" to be perfect vs "expecting" to be perfect. Thoughts? Comments? Disagreement? Trying to have a friendly conversation here.

Excellent question! Perfectionism can be a road to deep unhappiness because no one will ever be perfect all of the time. That doesn't mean we don't strive to do our best work and accept that there will be disappointment along the path.

The key, for me, is accepting that there will be disappointment. As a player, I know that there will be those sublime moments when everything is grooving along as it should be and I'm blissfully in the pocket. That's what I live for. I also know that there will be those moments when I look at my fingers and wonder "why? Why did you go there instead of where I thought I told you to go?"

What I've learned is that my recovery time from the second situation is a lot shorter when I just accept those moments and move on. I don't beat myself up. I tell myself that I might need to practice that passage more, or stay more focused, or whatever it was that got in the way of my best work that night. But I know that each night will have those moments, and I don't get down on myself over them. I just try each time to figure out what I need to do to have fewer of them.

 

[bholder]

They say that the pen is mightier than the sword.

They also say that actions speak louder than words.

Taken together, see where they lead (warning NSFW):

 

[Scottgun]

I prefer Robert Fripp's comment: mistakes are always forgivable, rarely excusable, and never acceptable.

 

[MJ5150]

About six years ago, I read a book about overcoming perfectionism. It changed my life for the better.

-Mike

 

[KarateChris]

About six years ago, I read a book about overcoming perfectionism. It changed my life for the better.

-Mike

Cool. Perfectionism is wrong. Seeking perfection is not (in my opinion).

 

[fhm555]

Practice does not make perfect. Practice makes permanent.

I'm a lefty and somewhat acomplished with a manual (bailless) spinning reel. When lefty manual reels became scarce i thought "no prob i'll just switch to right handed reels". Try as i might i could barely get one acceptable cast in five, much less making the back reel to take the line off the roller. These days i hunt for surviving old left handed manual reels and parts.

 

[MJ5150]

Cool. Perfectionism is wrong. Seeking perfection is not (in my opinion).

I agree. The problem some people have, including me, is being realistic about expectations of myself and others in relation to the results of that seeking.

-Mike

 

[fingerguy]

The only perfection I seen is something I can't go into detail about but have to say it was the most perfect one I ever seen.

 

[LBS-bass]

About six years ago, I read a book about overcoming perfectionism. It changed my life for the better.

-Mike

Yeah, I was raised in a very strict home where academic excellence was not just expected, but demanded. Nothing less than straight A's on every report card. Heaven forbid an A- should crop up.

It made me both a perfectionist and a neurotic mess because, no matter how well I did, it was never good enough. As an adult I had to unpack all of that conditioning to figure out how best to live with the fact that I am actually an imperfect being. I do think it's quite possible to strive for one's best work without being so hard on oneself that it becomes counter-productive and damaging to the soul. And not everyone was raised the way I was raised so, of course, their mileage will vary.