Perfect works are rare, because they must be produced at the happy moment when taste and genius unite; and this rare conjuncture, like that of certain planets, appears to occur only after the revolution of several cycles, and only lasts for an instant. – Vicomte De Chateaubriand

I cling to my imperfection, as the very essence of my being. – Anatole France, The Garden of Epicurus, 1894

Does “anal-retentive” have a hyphen? – Alison Bechdel, 1990 Dykes to Watch Out For Calendar (Thanks, Chelsea)

A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault. – John Henry Newman