Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien. — Voltaire | Printable Wall Art

“Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien.”
“The best is the enemy of the good.”

Words by Voltaire (1694-1778) — French Enlightenment writer, philosopher, and satirist.

About this quote

Striving for absolute perfection often prevents us from completing a good piece of work or accepting a satisfactory outcome. This proverb warns against endless tweaking and overthinking. Demanding flawless results can lead to paralysis and frustration, whereas accepting a high standard allows us to finish things and move forward. Sometimes, good enough really is best.

Voltaire quoted this traditional Italian proverb in his 1772 poem La Bégueule and later in his philosophical writings. It gained widespread popularity during the French Enlightenment as a pragmatic warning against excessive perfectionism.

People often hang this print in a home office or study to encourage steady progress and overcome perfectionism.

What you get

An instant digital download. Choose your design and size at checkout — 19 typographic designs and 8 print sizes are available for this quote.

• Print-ready PDF with fully embedded vector type — sharp at any scale
• Exact trim size, no cropping required
• Print at home, at a local print shop, or upload to an online printer
• Instant download — no physical item is shipped

Sizes available

5" x 7" · 8" x 10" · 11" x 14" · 12" x 16" · 16" x 20" · 18" x 24" · 24" x 36" · A4 (21 x 29.7 cm)

Designs available

Atelier Serif · Quiet Garamond · Studio Left · Gallery Rule · Midnight Serif · Editorial Left Serif · Modern Sans Calm · Letterpress Caps · Poster Condensed · Script Whisper · Manuscript Italic · Asymmetric Left · Minimal Unsigned · Charcoal Sans · Gallery Frame · Soft Serif Right · Statement Serif · Night Script · Tracked Caps Unsigned

Digital product. Colours may vary slightly between screens and printers. Frames and props are not included.