Even The Best Has Faults Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Whenever You Point Out A Finger, Always Remember There Are Three Pointing Back at You





Perfection.  Is it just a concept of an endless repeated process?  Is it a motivation or is it a burden?  Is it a psychological desire that we are driven towards achieving something greater even when we have achieved the desired result?  Most times, we live making goals with each goal must be better than the previous ones.  Does the quest for perfection change our attitudes? 

The irony, in most cases, is that while wanting to be perfect motivates our lives, it lands us in a subconscious state of mind where we think we know it all.  In such a state of mind and without knowing, we tend to exercise and indulge in judgement.  When we think we know it all, then technically the next person will be Know Nothing.  In all subtlety, our mind provides an unconscious energy the preoccupation of making sure we feel superior.

Perfection can be a burden asmuchas thinking is.  It impels us to keep trying to better our work and achievement with a desire for perfection in all endeavors.  Unfortunately, achieving absolute perfection may be impossible and so, as increasing effort results in diminishing returns, further activity becomes increasingly inefficient.  Hence, does the proverb 'Perfect is the enemy of good enough' stay true?

To strive for perfection stops progress.  Contradict to its nice sounding word and energy, 'perfect' is more a disease.  It drives people crazy.  It heightens anxiety and makes it hard for one to be calm and submissive.  It can, possibly, feed our ego.  It divides social cohesiveness.  To get to a stage of perfection is rather unreachable.  In no means that I am saying, nor suggesting, that quality does not matter but sometimes 'good enough' or even 'nearly perfect' is very important.

Unfortunately, we have been conditioned to be the best and to get the best.  It applies in all forms and in all processes in our life.  Be it a task, a relationship, a career, a decision or the process of selecting choices.  Nearly perfect is never good enough and this feeling gets in our way.  The truth is, should we are more conscious of our desire to achieve perfection, this 'good enough' idea often stops us from ever getting started in anything in the first place.  We lose perspective on the quality the moment we create those feelings.

The quest for perfection leads to a state of indecisiveness.  Emotionally, it agitates our senses.  Now, do not get me wrong - to be the best is good quality.  In progressing towards the perfect state, we will never know where it can bring us forward in future.  But one needs to know if such a compulsive desire creates another negative attitude. 

Our development towards our desire for perfection needs us to learn how to leverage this desire without becoming trapped in an unwholesome atmosphere of permanent dissatisfaction with everything we create.  Time and time again, we must remind ourselves that any changes we make to a creation no longer make it better but just different.

We must be conscious, the point at which our continuing quest for perfection will always reach to the law of diminishing returns.  Back to the proverb 'Perfect is the enemy of good', the moral is that perfectionism is contrary to a satisfactory competence.  Some great philosophers propounded that compulsive desire for perfection can lead to one to be an extremist.

In the grand scheme of life, no one thing is so important.  Failing to make things perfect will not impair our ability to be happy.  Who knows, maybe after we break through the static friction of quality for perfection, we discover that some of the things we already have - those that are in our hands, really are good enough, or maybe even great.  Guess, we just have to learn to remember, although quality is always nice, it is not the point. 

We have to learn to be grateful and do not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.  In other words, instead of pushing ourselves to an impossible 'perfect', and therefore getting nowhere, accept 'good'.  It is such an acceptance that can be extremely useful to make us a better person.  The happier course is to open our mind to know when good is good enough and not to worry about perfection or making the perfect choice.