The Illusion of Perfection

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The idea of perfection to me is a very interesting one and I see so many of us striving really hard to attain perfection. The question is, can we really achieve perfection?

My answer to the question is in the title of this blog and I've made a 3speak video sharing my opinions regarding it. I believe it is an illusion.

As I said in the video, it's deeply exhausting to chase perfection. We want the perfect job, the perfect income, the perfect relationship, the perfect family and friends and the perfect country.

For thousands of years, we as people haven't accomplished that and the reality is a disappointing because we may never attain perfection. I will share with you the reasons why I make such a claim.

First of all, I have noticed in my own life that no matter what I achieve and no matter what others achieve, there always seems to be something more or higher that can be attained. You set a goal before you to achieve, and after you manage to pull it off, you immediately start thinking about what's next.

I see it as a cycle that will never end, and the only reason we haven't fully realized it is because we're not immortal or we don't live long enough to realize that there's really no end to what will satisfy us entirely to a point where we no longer desire something more. The whole idea or definition of perfection keeps shifting and that to me is the primary reason why it's impossible to reach.

I spoke in the 3speak video on Social Media's impact on this whole idea of perfection. Social media has made it even way worse for all of us.

When you follow celebrities and big time or successful business men and women, you see a flawless life and you start to desire that kind of life. The thing we forget while watching all those flawless and seemingly perfect videos and images they post online is that those videos or images have been carefully curated and we'll edited to look good or perfect.

Even when you watch videos like "A day in the life of a celebrity" the truth is that, what they should you is not necessarily how their day goes. Everything was well planned to make the video look its best. From their mood to how organized and perfect their house looks, to their workstation and how perfectly organized everything is. They prepared before shooting that video. But people think that's how their day always goes. Not True At All

What we usually see online is only a small, and well polished part of the whole picture. No one shows their struggles in details, their doubts, or their failures. Yes during an interview we hear stories of some struggles but even that is not the full picture.

When they show this perfect life, what happens if that very unrealistic standards are created in the minds of the viewers and people that watch it start comparing their lives to these unrealistic standards. So we're always thinking that we need to be better, do more, look better, talk better, walk better, basically better and flawless with every aspect of our lives. Imagine the frustration of trying to be perfect every single day.

The more you try to be perfect the more you notice that it really is an illusion. You won't be happy with their mentality because you'll become way too self critical and judgmental and that is a one way ticket to disappointment and depression. I just think the bar has been set way too high.

In the end, I have come to accept and learn through my own experience of it that what really matters is progress and seeing that you're growing in every single aspect of your life. You don't need a perfect standard to follow, you just need to make good progress each day.

Simply striving to be better than you were yesterday is the right thing to do and is the right goal to have. Just embrace imperfection.

Infact, did you know that our flaws contribute to what makes us human. Also know that being successful doesn't mean that you're flawless so don't worry about being perfect. Mistakes are part of the journey of life and real success comes from learning from those mistakes rather than being flawless.

Focus on doing your best. Yes some days your best may not look good or even satisfying but try another day until you get very good at what you're doing or very good at life itself but never perfect.

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Background videos from Pexel copyright free

Editing and voiceover done by me

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