chris priest wrote:

So does it really matter, or is my dad just being a over-achiever?

I think that both you and your Dad are looking at the wrong target.
Consider: You're a pilot, true. Do you want to be the worst pilot or the
best?

No, of course the score on your written exams isn't an absolute measure of
your quality as a pilot. But why not shoot for perfection? Why not be the
best possible, even if it involves actually working hard?

Yes, you learned a lot afterwards. But that happens. Why not start from
the best position possible?

One of the CFIIs with whom I did my complex checkout and with whom I've been
working on my commercial reminded me of this in a way. He pointed out that
every landing was an opportunity to put it down precisely at my chosen
point. Every flight is an opportunity to practice planning and control.

There are plenty of opportunities where we could settle for less than our
best, but why bother?

- Andrew