What does the quote "perfectionism spells paralysis" mean?

Question

or, "perfection spells paralysis"?

Answer 1

I've never heard of it, but it makes sense.  It means that if you wait around and obsess over getting every single detail perfectly right, then you're never going to get anything accomplished because things never turn out perfect.

Answer 2

Brandon's right.  That brings up another quote, "Strive for excellence, not perfection."

Answer 3

I would say that a perfectionist sometimes gets so caught up with details that they tend to not get things done or make forward progress, hence paralysis.

Answer 4

What I get from this quote from Winston Churchill is that perfection is difficult to master and you may be left behind (paralyzed) trying to perfect something while others move ahead with their less than perfect effort.  Just my interpretation!