Perfection by definition is being free of error or fault, but all humans know that there is always something to improve on. Perfection is unattainable, but society pushes this ideal. This is visible in the media, where people are photoshopped to perfection, but in reality no human exists that way. In school, there is pressure from teachers, parents, and even sometimes students themselves to get good grades across all areas of study. But no human can be perfect, because there are always way to be better. When this ideal of perfection becomes one's idea of success, it makes it difficult to be celebrate achievements and continue to improve. The idea of perfection is harmful to the pursuit of success because it sets up unrealistic expectations …show more content…
and causes one to strive for an unattainable goal. In Dave Eggers' What is the What, Deng examines the differences between his expectations and the reality of his immigration to the United States.
He found once he arrived that many of the promises that had been made to him were not fulfilled. Deng laments that "[he is] thankful for it, yes, [he has] cherished many aspects of it for the three years [he has] been [there], but [he is] tired of the promises," that kept on being revoked (Eggers). Eggers' use of the word "tired", which has a connotation of weariness and repeated disappointment, helps describe Deng's lengthy journey with no relief in sight. While at first the promises of a better land gave him hope for a brighter future, they eventually made him feel cheated of opportunities and his future. Immigrants presented with the possibility of a utopia may find the courage to take a risk and start over in a new place, but this high expectation causes them to be unsatisfied once they arrive. Because they are only yearning for a place devoid of evil, they may not recognize the improvements around them. Deng had been told many tales of America, told of a perfect place where everyone could be successful and live a fulfilling life. This led him to "[expect] a land without war… a land without misery. [He was] giddy and impatient," (Eggers). Deng set very high expectations for America, so high that he expected a utopia, perfection. When discussing Deng's excitement, Eggers uses the words "giddy" and "impatient" which connote overwhelming excitement and unwillingness to wait for success. Because of these preconceptions, Deng was disappointed when he found that America was not perfect and free of suffering. When one looks forward to perfection, it is difficult to accept and appreciate anything less than that. This ideal, while it may be initially motivating, eventually disables one to celebrate their successes. Instead, one may continue to be unhappy because the ultimate goal of perfection has not been
reached. In Amy Tan's Two Kinds, the author explores her mother's hope for her to be a prodigy and her own ideas of who she could become. With Tan's mother's background as an immigrant, she believes that one can become anything one wants, as long as the hard work is put in. This includes becoming a prodigy, reaching the ultimate goal of perfection. Tan in turn initially adopted this belief and "in all [her] imaginings [she] was filled with a sense that [she] would soon become perfect: [Her] mother and father would adore [her]," (Tan 1). Even from an early age, Tan was striving for perfection and she thought that that was what her parents wanted for her. Tan uses the word "adore", which connotes joy and pride, to show her perception of the high reward she would receive by reaching perfection. The pressure from both Tan herself and her parents led her to push herself to be someone she was not, and someone she would never become. An expectation for perfection puts an enormous amount of pressure on a person because one feels like one is never good enough. Expectations can come from both relationships as well as one's own views on one's self. Feelings of defeat from both oneself and others cause one to lose confidence, and possibly the loss of the dedication and perseverance of success. Pushing for the impossible leads to disappointment because one's definition of success is framed in perfection. And although first Tan was excited about reaching perfection, she later "hated the tests, the raised hopes and failed expectations," (Tan 2). As Tan began to feel the disappointment from her parents, the stress to be perfect became even greater. Tan uses the contrast between the words "raised" and "failed" to show the cycle of her emotions and her feelings of success. The disappointment of her failure was never countered by the excitement of success, because in the eyes of Tan and her parents, she never reached success. These repeated feelings of failure are detrimental to a person's self-worth. Society pushes the ideas of success and outshining other people, but this pressure does not help one reach one's own personal definition of success. Constantly reaching for a goal that is never reached leads to disappointment and one may even give up because one feels like one isn't making progress. The societal pressure for success also pushes the idea of perfection as a goal. However
Perfect: adj. ˈpər-fikt 1. Entirely without any flaws, defects, or shortcomings, is the first definition you find on dictionary.com for the word (perfect). Is this actually possible to attain? Has anyone actually ever been perfect? Or is it all in the eye of the beholder? These questions are asked by almost every girl, as we dream to one day reach the unattainable. This is especially true at the tender age of fifteen, where nothing seems to be going right with our bodies and everything is changing in us. This poem stresses the fact that as everyone realizes how unrealistic this dream is, the knowledge makes no difference to the wish. Marisa de los Santos comments on this in her poem “Perfect Dress”. The use of verbose imagery, metaphors, and the simplistic approach are very effective in portraying the awkward adolescent stage of a young woman and the unrealistic dream of being perfect.
...o act unjustly. In order to sustain perfection there needs to be a willingness to negatively affect others for personal gain, such as the corporate leaders of the Compounds and their consumers, and Crake and all of the people close to him. The best way to avoid this very common and toxic desire in life is to be completely and utterly satisfied with the self and have no passion for perfection like Jimmy did. His acceptance of his dysfunctional family and himself allowed him to avoid the deception that is perfection.
“Hail to The Goodness and to the Supreme Compassionate Director, most true, most powerful, most benevolent...We exist to please him” (Levitin 3). To most, this statement seems like one set by a cruel dictator. However, in The Goodness Gene, a 253 page scientific-fiction novel, author Sonia Levitin creates a world where this creed is the basic “motto” of the world. The setting is located 300 years into the future, where a man by the name of Hayli (who is referred to by the world as the Supreme Compassionate Director), has taken control of the world to make it a perfect environment. Hayli’s son, Will, is the main character who, after a trip outside of his isolated community, realizes that the world his “father” created was not really as perfect as it seemed, while also discovering why he was created. The title, The Goodness Gene, really symbolizes the clash of man and its society in the book.
The unwanted consequence of their careless pursuit of wealth and happiness was caused by the lofty hopes of the American Dream. Therefore, I believe that this term has led innumerable populations to suffer. ...
Perfection? Can any one person be perfect? Benjamin Franklin believed that he could accomplish this task. Benjamin Franklin was known for being a cognizant and diligent perfectionist. During his lifetime, many people were concerned with correcting themselves of any fault that they may have had. Benjamin Franklin did have an interesting way to proclaim how he, could show everyone how to be perfect. He believes that he can make himself perfect. Even though his ways of being perfect are not the same as everyone else's ideas, he still tries to show them he can be perfect. In his essay "Arriving at Perfection" Benjamin Franklin tries to tell everyone how he will be perfect and how he is going to actually accomplish this task.
...that can foil even the best plans. Perfection does not have a single definition, “The act of making something perfect or better”-Merriam Webster. It is up to each individual to decide whether he or she achieved perfection in their job, and the bar to determine that is similarly different for each individual. In the end when the task has been completed individuals shouldn’t necessarily ask themselves if they were perfect, they should ask themselves how they can improve from their experience. Achieving perfection is a constant chase, when one thinks they were perfect they must also realize that they could have been better. When an individual thinks they are perfect, they have given up on the chase for perfection. “Better is possible. It does not take genius. It takes diligence. It takes moral clarity. It takes ingenuity. And above all, it takes a willingness to try.”
Michael Sandel is a distinguished political philosopher and a professor at Harvard University. Sandel is best known for his best known for his critique of John Rawls's A Theory of Justice. While he is an acclaimed professor if government, he has also delved deeply into the ethics of biotechnology. At Harvard, Sandel has taught a course called "Ethics, Biotechnology, and the Future of Human Nature" and from 2002 to 2005 he served on the President’s Council on Bioethics (Harvard University Department of Government, 2013). In 2007, Sandel published his book, The Case Against Perfection: Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering, in which he explains unethical implications biotechnology has and may have in the near future regarding genetic engineering.
Society longs for a perfect model to show how humanity should be. Throughout history, perfection has been looked for in gods and other-worldly beings, yet never in humans. Perhaps this is because perfection is subjective and unattainable. Each person can have their own idea of what makes someone perfect, which can make the most ideal person, imperfect. One simple flaw can be seen as imperfect. Despite that, with the advancement of technology and media, people try to become perfect through surgeries and other, more damaging, processes. In “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a scientist believes that the removal of his wife’s birthmark can make her perfect, or rather, his idea of perfect. Hawthorne uses symbolism, foreshadowing, and dark romantic ideals to say that while attempting to be perfect, you can be hurting yourself or others.
For the longest time people have always wanted to immigrate to the U.S. from their country hoping to start a new life, possibly a wealthy life of which they have always dreamt. Most people don’t know what will happen once they get there, but they have created a picture of how successful they will be and how good they will do in the U.S. This leads to problems, when they enter their new home and figure out that the life they imagined isn’t quite what they expected it to be.
Perfection is much like the lottery; many people will strive for it with the hopes of attaining their ultimate goal, only to realize that reaching it is nearly impossible. However, unlike the lottery, there is not even the slightest chance of winning the final prize. To be completely perfect is an impossible feat, and the more attempts made to reach a status of “perfection”, the more let down a person will be. The quality of complete perfection is unobtainable and unreasonable, yet many cultures and certain groups of people take pride in being known as perfectionists. This reach for the impossible can be seen in the strict code followed by all knights during the feudal time period. Sir Gawain in the late
When you are performing and competing as a gymnasts winning isn’t everything. For instance, when I would perform or compete on uneven bars if I was just happy with finishing my routine and not falling off the bars. Bars was my worst area in gymnastics. Almost every gymnasts has this area they dread but have to do. In this area if you didn’t win it didn’t matter as long as you did your best. Also just advancing in your skills is what matters to a gymnasts not winning. Another thing people say is all gymnasts are perfectionists. This is also a false statement. When being a gymnast you can’t be a perfectionist because if you are then every skill that you do won’t ever be good enough. Even the best of the best don’t do every skill perfectly. Gymnasts do spend a lot of time on one skill but that doesn’t mean that they are perfectionists. Many different components go into just one skill. For instance, doing a backflip in gymnastics you have to jump at the right time you have to tuck your legs in at the right time and point your toes. In many of the skills it is timing and it is very rare you go out there and do a performance completely perfect. To be a gymnast you can’t be a perfectionist because doing your best has to be good enough, otherwise you will constantly be down on yourself. For me when learning a new skill just landing on my feet makes me feel good. Then after I land it I worry
In other words, there is something that should be left “imperfect” rather than striving for their perfection. Although, we have few perfectionist who have been successful in their endeavor, the question is, for how long? How long will it last before they meet their misery? Aylmer was successful at first. “A faint smile fitted over her lips when she looked into the mirror and she recognized how barely perceptible was now that crimson hand which has once blazed forth.
is hotter or colder, but never actually tell what the absolutes are. This is a
We often think that our main goals are linked to perfection, however, we are unaware of the devastating effect this unattainable concept has on our outlook on life when we cannot achieve it. Though the textbook definition of perfection is, “the quality or condition of being perfect and without flaws”, it is a vice that harbors many doubts and insecurities and holds us back from things we want to do for fear of not being good. Perfection is a concept that cannot be achieved as it does not exist.
Perfectionism of the mind is a goal rationalists try to strive for. Perhaps the main problem with this concept is that it promotes over achievement on everything we do. For many...