"The ability of discerning high quality unavoidably implies the ability of identifying shortcomings"

This quote by Edsger Dijkstra suggests that the capability to acknowledge quality is intrinsically linked to the capability to recognize flaws. Simply put, the ability to determine high quality depends on the ability to identify imperfections. This implies that in order to recognize excellence, one should also be able to acknowledge what is lacking. This is since excellence is often specified in comparison to what is lacking. For example, if one is able to recognize a well-crafted piece of art, they need to likewise have the ability to acknowledge the flaws in a badly crafted art piece. In this method, the ability to acknowledge excellence is dependent on the capability to recognize drawbacks. This quote by Edsger Dijkstra suggests that the ability to recognize quality is not just dependent on the capability to recognize what is great, however also on the capability to acknowledge what is lacking.