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The Enemy of the best is the good. If you're always settling with what's good, you'll never be the best.
Jerry Rice
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Settling for mediocrity can hinder your potential for greatness.

This quote by Jerry Rice highlights the danger of complacency in pursuit of excellence. It suggests that if one consistently chooses what is merely 'good' rather than striving for what is 'best', they will ultimately limit their own growth and achievements, preventing them from reaching their true potential.

Themes

ExcellenceMediocrityAchievementPotential

In practice

Example use cases

In a motivational speech to encourage athletes to train harder.

More from Jerry Rice

To me it was never about what I accomplished on the football field, it was about the way I played the game.
Jerry RiceRead
To me, it was never about what I accomplished on the football field. It was about the way I played the game. I played the game with a lot of determination, a lot of poise, a lot of pride and I think what you saw out there...was an individual who really just loved the game.
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You know, I never looked down the road and said, 'Hey look, one day, the Hall of Fame.' It's always about playing each and every game 100 percent and I thank my teammates for getting me into the Hall because football is a team sport, not an individual sport.
Jerry RiceRead
I had that hunger, that desire, to be successful and I wasn’t going to let anything stand in my way.
Jerry RiceRead

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