Perfection is a journey, not a destination
Too much emphasis on a good thing can turn out to be a bad thing. I know this sounds like a contradiction but if you reflect a bit on what I have said, it makes eminent sense. For an everyday example, think of your favourite dessert. One piece of it and you will love it. You will perhaps be motivated to ask for one more piece. But many servings will not add to your enjoyment; they will only make you sick and you will realise the meaning of the word gluttony.
It is the same with everything we hanker after; especially perfection. We all praise the one who is perfect and perfection is generally acknowledged as the ultimate state of being. On the face of it, there is nothing wrong in the quest for perfection. But that quest has to have its limitations; just as we should know when we should be saying NO to that helping of dessert.
Why should we limit ourselves, is a natural question. I think there is a fine distinction here which should be noted. The pursuit of anything which is a positive quality is never a bad thing. But if it is relentless, if it is being achieved at any cost, if it is going to make us unhappy individuals, then it is not so desirable. There are many people whom I have met who are seeking the ultimate perfection in their endeavour. Maybe it is painting or dancing or athletics. Their quest is undoubtedly noble but I have noticed that they sometimes get frustrated along their ‘noble’ journey. They are often angry that they are not achieving the desired goal in the timeframe they had set for themselves, or that the last lap is eluding them or whatever. The quest then changes their personality in two ways — it makes them unhappy as individuals and, more dangerously, it also makes them less tolerant of imperfections, especially imperfect people, around them.
While the attainment of perfection is not a small achievement, the point of it all is that we must not reject imperfections. We must embrace imperfections, as imperfections are the natural state of life.
Our bodies are not symmetrical; indeed the concept of beauty lies in the asymmetry of faces. An overwhelming majority of us are right-handed, we do not have equal strength in both limbs; in many cases they are not even equal in length. So we are imperfect human beings and we should accept imperfections, and not be contemptuous of those more imperfect that us. Yet that is what I see all around me, a kind of hauteur and arrogance in those who know their craft better than others.
It is important to enjoy the journey to perfection and not let it corrode our perspective. It would also be nice to help others along the way, even if it is difficult in these competitive times. As for myself, I would prefer someone who is humble and imperfect to someone who is arrogant, yet almost-perfect.
The writer is a renowned film
and theatre actor
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