Imagine if we were all “perfect”. Of course, we’d all have to agree on what “perfect” really means first, which would be incredibly hard. But just for arguments’ sake, say we had a universal definition of “perfect.”
For instance, we would do the right things all the time. We would all be rich or at least have what we need. We would probably all look the same – the perfect height, with perfect features and perfect hair.
We would all know how to play the piano or be great at baseball, or whatever the “perfect” activity was. We would all excel at the same subjects in school. While it sounds like it would be great if it were true, how boring would life be if this were the case?
Our imperfections make life much more interesting. It makes us strive for our individual goals and gives us reasons to live. We stay curious – we perfectly imperfect human beings – because we are not some unrealistic image of “perfection.” This means we can (and should) continually seek knowledge and try to discover new, interesting, and authentic facets of life and spirituality.
Imperfection does have a dark side. There are people who commit crimes
and others who we deem to be “strange” or “unusual” and try to avoid. Greed is another dark side that makes people do all kinds of stupid things. We go to war for money and power. This all could be where the phrase, take the good with the bad, comes from.
For most people, their imperfections are well within what would be considered normal. Most people are not serial killers, thieves, or scammers, despite what some segments of the media would have you believe. This type of news sells quite well for them, after all.
If perfection was possible, another downside would be that we would live forever. As “perfect” physical specimens, we’d likely never get old, never be ill, and never experience the gradual decline of our cognitive abilities, because that would take us out of the realm of perfection.
While some may think this is positive, having access to a diverse, and constantly updating population brings in fresh ideas. Perfect people wouldn’t need new ideas. Another mark in the “boring” column.
The takeaway here? Accepting who you are and using your sense of self-acceptance to build and experience self-compassion. You are not perfect, and neither is anyone else. Always keep that in mind the next time you beat yourself up for something. View your imperfections as that which makes you unique. How cool is that?
Give others a break, too. Accept that they are not perfect just as you are not perfect. If they make a mistake, chalk it up to the human experience. Hopefully, they’ll learn from that mistake and try to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Encourage them not to beat themselves up about it. Let them in on the imperfection club. You’ll see all your friends there as well as your family. You’ll also see your enemies there, but that’s what happens in an imperfect world.
