Embracing imperfection

For most part of our education and up to university, we have been conditioned to conform and succeed. We have been constantly told and guided on what it takes to be a “successful person” and the parameters that define it. These include many things including - wealth, the “right” career, status, family, kids, education, being well liked and well behaved, etc etc - the list goes on.

These ideologies gets further reinforced when we see the numerous self accolades and congratulatory messages on the social media feeds of our peers.

In reality, life does not always go according to plan.

Not everyone becomes a top achiever in their field or cohort, not everyone can get an impeccable score for their tests and be perceived as the role model playing immaculately by the rulebook. It's hard to live a life without blemishes or bumps. Being a perfectionist that way can be detrimental. It is not about being able to relate to others who are also imperfect or making you seem more real as a person. It all comes down to survival.

In the case of vaccinations, a weakened virus is being intentionally introduced to the human body to disrupt the normal functioning of the biological system but also to enable the body's immune system to learn and defend itself from future similar threats.

Another example: Inbreeding, which according to Darwin’s theory of evolution also illustrates that perfectionism through the lack of genetic diversity also results in weaker offspring. A blemish in pedigree is what makes the each generation of organisms better versions of themselves. It is the imperfection that makes them stronger and increases their probability of survival.

Being too perfect makes one vulnerable to shocks - the shock of losing a job, money, health, basically anything precious. The little disruptions that throw us off the conventional course of life can be discomforting and at times debilitating. But they help build up our defences, make us mentally stronger and conditions us to be better prepared for other nasty surprises in life.

And so these days when I see successful people being portrayed in the media, I don't necessarily always look up to them as perfect role models for where they are now. Many of them may have crossed boundaries and broken many rules before getting to where they are today. At the risk of sounding too pessimistic, many start-ups end up as failed ventures by following the conventional path of growth.

Never try to be the perfect persona of what the world wants you to be.