Daily Inspiration Quote by Marilu Henner

A soft warning disguised as friendly advice, Marilu Henner’s line goes after a particularly modern form of self-sabotage: using “high standards” as camouflage for fear. The key move is in the word “excuse.” Perfectionism isn’t framed as an admirable quirk that occasionally causes delays; it’s treated like a story we tell ourselves to justify avoidance. That’s emotionally savvy, and very actorly: it understands that people don’t usually refuse the audition outright. They “prepare.” They “wait until it’s ready.” They rehearse a life they never step into.

Henner’s background matters. As a working actress, she comes from a culture where momentum is currency and finished work beats imagined work every time. You can’t perfect a performance in private forever; at some point you hit your mark, take direction, and live with the take. In that world, perfectionism is less a virtue than a luxury - and often a control strategy when the outcome is uncertain.

The intent is practical: start messy, start scared, start before you’re “ready.” The subtext is sharper: perfectionism can be a socially acceptable way to protect your ego. If you never begin, you never risk being judged, rejected, or merely average. By calling it an excuse, Henner punctures the self-image of the perfectionist as someone principled and recasts them as someone stalling.

It works because it doesn’t demonize excellence; it targets the moment excellence stops being a goal and becomes a hiding place.