Stop chasing perfection
As a society we are obsessed with improvement which leads to perfection; our mind keep wandering to achieve perfection in everything we do. We get bogged down because of the desire to be perfect human. This burdens us ironically and it is a major cause of unhappiness. How do we define perfection?
At first, we might think that trying to be prefect is desirable. Let’s take a deeper look at that belief. Perfection suggests a state of flawlessness, without any defects. Seeking perfection at a particular task might be achievable and certainly individuals can strive to attain a perfect salary, perfect job or a perfect home. Yet, the goal of being perfect in life is altogether a different story.
A machine or electronic device may operate perfectly; at least for a while. Yet, over time it will begin to wear down and require repair. I believe the notion of perfection can be attached to machines and not men. Perfection lies in the paradigm of Newton’s mechanistic universe, not the humans. How can we expect humans to be perfect? Perfection was never expected from humans. Human are imperfectly perfect – that’s the definition of being human. Consider the expression, “I’m just a human.” We need to remind ourselves the goal isn’t to emulate a machine, but to accept the imperfection of being human. The quest for perfection is the root of discontent.
We all want the perfect job, the perfect relationship, the perfect body, the perfect looks, the perfect spouse, perfect children……..and who decides what is perfect and what is not? Secondly, remember that there is always going to be that someone out there who is better than us. So we find somebody more intelligent than us, we find somebody more attractive, someone happier, somebody richer, brighter so on. Why should we focus on what everyone else has and what we do not? Instead, we should focus on improving ourselves in the so called weaker areas. There are always going to be things about my job which others will keep telling me to improve. And, there is no yardstick to count how much I have improved.....Read more