We live in a society which causes us to view things objectively, I mean in many instances we rely heavily on scientifically proven norms to guide our day to day pursuits. For example, the fact that women need to eat up to 2000 calories a day to maintain a ‘healthy’ diet and lifestyle is an objective opinion which have been taken on board by the masses. In the midst of this reality, I often find myself marvelling at the irony of this objective world that we live in.
As Individuals, we are vastly intrinsic, complicated and subjective. In fact, we have no distinctive access to any form of purely objective reasoning. Why then are we so concerned with the notion of being objectively perfect? Is it clear to anyone other than me that we all seem to be passively living up to and obsessing over objective standards?
I sometimes think vaguely about my life and come to the same conclusion most times; everything is fine, not perfect, fine. My Parents are in great health, my siblings are thriving in their individual fields, I have beautiful and compassionate friendships, and my physical and emotional wellbeing, though not faultless or ‘perfect’, are in pretty good shape. How then have I somehow rationalized this account of my life as ordinary, or (in some instances) inferior?
By definition, the word perfect implies the state of an object to be free from any flaw or defect in condition or quality. But hold on, does this utopia exist? Have I ever known any life experience to occur in the absence of a flaw or defect? The answer is (fortunately) no. The truth fellow humans, is that perfection is relative and therefore cannot be given definitive value. Even the bible addresses this need for constant subjective evaluation in human nature, - A true Christian is in a continual state of self-examination (2 Corinthians 13 vs 5).
I often hear phrases that imply ones need to ‘strive for perfection’, or more patronisingly and in an attempt to induce sentiments of deep affection, ‘you’re perfect to me’. I have realised actually, that my idea of perfection cannot and should not be equals to the worlds, my society, my boss, my colleagues, my friends or my boy-friends conceptualization of the word ‘perfect’. On the days when my skin is breaking out, when I feel like I am not doing enough, or when I lack motivation to do anything but lay in bed all day, it’s difficult, but I try to remind myself that I am perfect. I try to remember that in a world full of diversity and complexities I can choose to be perfect simply because I want to.
The emphasis, is not on the word itself but instead on the weight and intent that it carries. At times I worry about my future, am I going to be successful? I look down on myself occasionally because of past mistakes and I begin to harbour feelings of disdain and resentment. On those days, I try to remember that such actions don’t highlight a lack of perfection, no, in actuality, they personify the act of being relatively perfect.
The point I am trying to make is this; everything we deem beautiful or ideal is decided so by human from his perception of the word. Hence your idea of perfection is and should always be determined by you and you alone.