In Search of Perfection

<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perfect" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Merriam-Webster</a> defines the word “perfect” as being entirely without fault or deficit, flawless, for example, “a perfect diamond.” When I think of a “perfect diamond”, I recall jewelry infomercials featuring symmetrically cut gems glistening beneath studio lighting. According to the <a href="https://www.gemsociety.org/article/are-flawless-diamonds-perfect/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">International Gem Society</a>, internally “flawless” diamonds are incredibly rare, and comprise only .05%. Perfection is also defined as a perfect copy, for example, “perfect lettering.” My first encounter with this last interpretation was stitched on a banner in my high school hallway, bearing a <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/392543-perfection-is-not-attainable-but-if-we-chase-perfection-we" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Vincent Lombardi quote</a>: “perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” I started to wonder if perfectionistic people believed in the existence and achievability of perfection. Or, like Vince, was it just an ideal? Not too many people openly identify as perfect, though some may privately or not so privately believe themselves to be. The <a href="https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Matthew-5-48/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">King James Bible</a> reads: “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Followers of the Bible believe in a perfect Lord, and this passage seems to indicate that perfection may exist within human nature. I’m exploring this topic because I would characterize myself as perfectionistic. I have internalized Vincent Lombardi’s quote, and set very high standards for myself in pursuit of my writing and filmmaking. In my experience, perfection is a utopian ideal and a path to self-destruction. <a href="https://medium.com/illumination/in-search-of-perfection-8e385f69204d">Read More</a>