Wise words from Voltaire, which translate as “The best is the enemy of the good”. As I work with some students as they develop their video projects for the semester, I want to have them chant this 20 times at the start of each class.
Consider the following scene:
ME – Hey, Joe. I’m wondering about this video project proposal that you’ve given me.
JOE – What about it, Mr. Wall
ME – Well … I’m wondering if some of it might be a bit more than we have the time, equipment or budget to actually do. Like the scene at the end, for example.
JOE – The musical scene? Oh no, I couldn’t get rid of that.
ME – I’ve just been wondering where we would find a marching band and two dozen breakdancing monkeys. I honestly don’t think you’d be able to make that happen.
JOE – But I’ve always wanted to do that scene. I thought of it 5 years ago and wanted to actually do it ever since.
ME – OK. I understand that but maybe you’ll have to save that for your project next year.
JOE – I suppose I could …
ME – And I think the car chase has to go also.
JOE – The car chase? I couldn’t possibly … the video needs to have some excitement to it. Where else could I work in the gunshots and the explosions. Next you’ll probably want me to get rid of the final battle with the troll army on the plains of Kajagoogoo.
ME – I was kind of heading that way.
JOE – (starting to have a tantrum) I don’t get it Mr. Wall. You’re encouraging us to be creative and now you tell me to stop.
ME – Joe, it’s supposed to be a two minute video about the danger of trans-fats in our cafeteria food. I think you’re getting just a bit too ambitious for what we need here.
JOE – You’re killing my creativity. I can’t work when you insist on confining my vision for my film.
Joe storms off pouting.
This is only slightly fictional. It’s not easy to tell kids who have big ideas that they don’t always have to include all those big ideas in their current project. It’s OK to do a good job on time rather than working long past the deadline to create the best.
It’s funny – I thought immediately of the opposite statement, which I’ve often heard.
“Good is the enemy of great!”
We strive to do something great – it’s a very human dream.
But you make a really good point! no pun intended
I wonder if it’s about learning to understand what “best” means within the context of each effort? As a parent, I do want to give my children a desire to do their best. I think now, I will add some thought to also teaching them to examine what a “best effort” would look like – in different circumstances, on different days, for different requirements.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I think you’ve raised the important issue – context. Given that there are time constraints for finishing any project, not just school assignments, someone has to do the best they can as long as the project is ready on time. It’s about best effort, as you say. My students might not have as much time, not to mention budget, as they need to do the absolute best they could do, but I want them to make the best effort they can to produce a good project. Thanks for helping me to clarify what I was thinking.