Ever since the creation of life on earth, humans have tried to achieve one thing and one thing only: perfection. Whether it’s being the perfect hunter-gatherer or the perfect pianist, all humans aim for the sky – hoping to surpass the limits that define imperfection But what exactly is perfection? Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as “The condition, state, or quality of being free or as free as possible from all flaws or defects.” So, given this interpretation, perfection is the manifestation of flawlessness – a state that has been readily acknowledged for centuries to be unattainable. Often when the thought comes across, I ask myself: why is my goal to achieve infinite perfection? Even when I know that it’s truly unattainable? After all, I recognize I’m chasing a dream that is impossible to achieve. But… interestingly enough, this dream defines me. I’ve been playing the violin for 8 years and yet I’m still no Vivaldi.
I make mistakes often because, after all, I’m only human. Even though I’m far from being the world’s greatest violinist, I can still achieve commendable results if I put in enough effort. However without the motivation, void of a hope for perfection, my violin would languish in the corner of my room, just as Mozart‘s piano would have remained painfully silent, had he not aimed for a state of flawlessness. It seems when it comes to aiming for perfection, human nature to lie to ourselves – to tell ourselves that perfection may be possible, so they don‘t have to face the reality of inevitable imperfection. If someone had told me that I can never be the perfect violinist, I wouldn’t practice as much since I would think that there is no point if all I’ll ever be is a mediocre violinist.
So, perfection for me is never a destination. but rather a never-ending process I’m not the only one. In a broader sense, without the struggle for perfection, human evolution would be stunted. The first hunter-gatherer would’ve died thinking ”why should I try to be the best hunter-gatherer if it’s just a false dream” Even though human beings were created to be imperfect, the idea of perfection has been passed down from the first humans to modern-day humans, and it serves as the unshakeable foundation that is necessary for the construction of the towering human species. Since humans are born with faults, whether it’s in their mind, body or spirit, achieving perfection is implausible.
However, by striving towards perfection, humans achieve something as a byproduct of Excellence. And from this excellence, humans are able to be successful. The dream of being perfect is essentially a lie but humans see it as a necessary lie. Take a look at some of the best musicians in history. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and many others attempted to be the perfect composer and musician. They never achieved the state of perfection but because of their attempt to be flawless, they created some of the most brilliant classical music that is still popular today in the same way that Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven tried to be perfect. I challenge myself to be perfect.
