Nobody is going to notice the brush strokes anyway

Here’s an urban legend that bothers me.

Apple famously insists on perfection, even in areas that customers would never see. Their designers are tasked with making the interiors of products aesthetically pleasing.

Jobs famously said in his posthumous biography, I want it to be as beautiful as possible, even if it’s inside the box. A great carpenter isn’t going to use lousy wood for the back of a cabinet.

Now, this philosophy sounds inspiring on the surface. Apple’s products are wonderful and have greatly improved my life.

But how many customers are realistically going to crack open their smartphone and marvel at the divine alignment of the battery placement?

Jobs wasn’t inspiring craftsmanship, he was enabling perfectionism addiction. Sending a generation of creatives down a rabbit hole of pointless nitpicking.

Apple has taught our society many lessons, not the least of which is, even if the invisible parts of your work aren’t perfect, you’ve failed.

This is more toxic to our brains than lead based paint. We don’t need to encourage more people to spiral into neurotic episodes simply because parts aren’t perfectly kerned.

Let’s dial back our executions a little. Good enough is done. Only fix what you can see.

Because you are the only one keeping score.

Nobody is going to notice the brush strokes anyway.

What tasks bring out your inner perfectionist?