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If you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it!: This is a beautiful quote about setting standards in life. It stands in direct conflict with the age-old advice of being realistic. This quote by Somerset Maugham keeps coming back to setting up good standards and expectations. There are two facets of it – one is expectations from self. This is where we have the most control. However, there is also a matter of expectations from others. We might not have a great deal of control over it, but we can decide whether we accept how people treat us etc.

Meaning of If you refuse to accept anything by the best

Our standards in life define who we are and the values that we stand for. The core value in the meaning of refusing to accept anything but the best is in ensuring awareness of our values. We talked about setting a vision for our life based on these values.

• The value of this quote is in being unreasonable about our expectations of ourselves. This doesn’t mean that we’ll be unhappy. But it ensures that we hold ourselves to high standards and keep striving to move forward.

“It is a funny thing about life, if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it”

– W. Somerset Maugham

Another point to consider is what happens if we don’t have these standards? Do we feel ok with everything? If that’s the case, we open ourselves to a new danger.

• If you’re happy about everything, what do you truly stand for? Are we eroding our own expectations and the ability to listen to what we truly stand for?

Sadness has some value. We’re told to find happiness in outcomes to prevent sadness. But sadness will tell us something powerful. It is an indication that something is not going right.

• In the quest for constant improvement, every outcome is feedback. While setting standards for ourselves, we must train ourselves to ensure that we don’t fall into the trap of taking this feedback personally. This is expected to help us grow and move closer to the goal.

You very often get the best

We get what we strive and work for. If we work for mediocrity, that’s what we will get. If however, we constantly push ourselves beyond limitations and fears, then we open up a new horizon.

Unreasonable people have shaped this world through their creativity, desire and passion towards a cause. This has constantly inspired us. If we truly feel strongly about something, we owe it to ourselves to hold our aims to the highest standards. Lowering standards might feel like an option. If however, your gut says that something is not right, then something isn’t right.

You get what you work for. And if we work for the best, won’t we have the best chance at it?