The pursuit of perfection accompanies many of us in all areas of life: We want to do a great job, have a flawless body, spend wonderful holidays on beaches that look and feel like paradise, and then post the perfect pictures of this perfect trip on Instagram. We are always pushing ourselves to the limit – both professionally and privately – and are far from satisfied with 100 percent. True to the motto: There’s still more! After all, you only live once, and to be successful one feels obligated to run one extra mile after another. Or not? Could it be that perfection is an illusion?
Well, of course, you should try your best. If you want to climb the career ladder, have a great body, or afford luxury vacations, it will require some form of sacrifice, whether mental or physical. Success at times can also mean that you have to be ready to push your own pain threshold. But it doesn’t mean that you have to be perfect in all situations all the time. Those who strive for perfection are in constant competition with themselves and others, which means they can only lose in the long term. And anyway: who or what is actually perfect?
Perfection is often related to an ideal that either arises in your head or is dictated by social norms. The media and social networks, in particular, keep suggesting to us what the perfect life or perfect body should look like. Even the top model on the magazine cover doesn’t have the same air-brushed perfection in real life. Lots of staging and subsequent optimization are used to ensure that this model looks absolutely perfect.
This is precisely where the idea of perfection begins to become dangerous. Young, insecure, and unstable people, in particular, can be dazzled by supposedly perfect ideals. They begin to doubt themselves and emulate an idea they will never achieve. Because neither a person, nor life, nor anything else is ever perfect. Perfection is neither natural nor desirable. And the more we get used to the idea, the more relaxed we become. Because we understand that we don’t even need to chase an unrealistic state that we can never achieve anyway – perfection is an illusion in every sense of the word.
Instead of doubting ourselves, we should use our energy to be more Self-confident and shower ourself with love. Because setting your goals so high that they are unattainable is quite frustrating in the long run. You could also say: striving for perfection is the best guarantee for frustration and disappointment. If you treat yourself this way, you shouldn’t be surprised if your motivation eventually falls by the wayside. Because much more important than a top job, a toned body or a holiday on a dream beach are self-love, self-acceptance and the appreciation of your own performance and your own body. Don’t let the illusion of perfection get on your last nerve.
The world is full of people trying to be perfect. However, what this world needs much more is people who are unique. The world needs lateral thinkers, visionaries, and people with creative ideas and the courage to implement them. Be one of them! Do not try to be a perfect follower, but go your own way and learn that perfection does not exist. Life is colourful, wild, diverse, unpredictable, and unique – but never perfect. It has a lot to offer. But it will never be entirely perfect!
Anne-Marie, in this upbeat 2018 pop song knows what perfect is, and she’s totally okay with never achieving it. She owns her imperfections almost too well, listing them as the following:
- poor eating habits
- never wearing makeup
- accepting her body
- disliking fancy clothes and
- not thinking before speaking.
Kenrick Vaz 