The Needless Pursuit of Perfection

The Needless Pursuit of Perfection

(First Published in the Hindustan Times)

Vivek Atray

When 14-year-old Romanian gymnast, Nadia Comaneci, secured the first ever perfect score of 10 in the uneven bars category at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, even the score board refused to believe it. Not calibrated to record a score beyond 9.9, the poor device ended up displaying 1.0 instead of a perfect 10. The crowd loved it and a new era was born.

Comaneci memorably said, decades later, that while olympic gymnasts may aim for perfection, they should remain focused on the process and not in the pursuit of perfection per se. Very seldom do human beings attain levels of perfection that defy further improvement, in any pursuit. While a perfect cover drive or a perfectly sung nuance of a raaga may fetch sheer delight to the heart of the performer as well as to the souls of the audience, the same maestro might better himself the next time. Mathematically speaking, perfection in most human pursuits is unattainable because it can always be bettered, even by a fraction!

The mango season is upon us in all its magnificence and one might feel after devouring a couple of “langras” that one has tasted perfection. One might also be forgiven for being convinced, in that moment of gustatory glory, that life could simply not get better. There are times when true love, true friendship, true faith, and other such high forms of human emotions inspire us to bask in a sense of perfect, seemingly unsurpassable, joy. Yet, as life proves to us again and again, there will be other occasions in life when one feels an equal, if not superior, level of inner exuberance and unfettered happiness.

The point is that while “perfect” mangoes, chocolates, coffee and other such lures of life may present us with countless instances of being on an unbridled high, these are relatively harmless indulgences. Seeking perfection in a spouse is foolhardy, as we all know. And we ourselves are no gods. The pursuit of perfection is ironically counter-productive to happiness.

The magazine Psychology Today puts it this way, “Striving to be our personal best is a timeless aspiration, often associated with ambition and motivation, fuelled by encouragement and inspiration. But striving for perfection might be a sign of the times, fuelled by unrealistic expectations, leading to disastrous consequences.”

Many a burnout has occurred in recent times because of the relentless quest for more and better. The old adage that “better is the enemy of good” holds true today more than ever before. Perfection in one’s profession, along with the race for attainment of all foreseeable material goals, is actually preventing modern day professionals from achieving even mid-level scores in life’s actual examinations.

What constitutes ambition, one might ask. Or what should it consist of? Improvement in all aspects of life could be the generic aim, and this could consist of physical, financial, social, spiritual and professional domains. But to drive oneself beyond a point is to literally miss the point. How much is too much? And where does happiness ultimately emanate from? More wealth, more power and more fame- these are not actually the answers.

“Imperfection is beautiful!” goes another saying. A child’s slightly skewed smile, a slip of tongue, a fumble that makes one feel humble. These instances might truly bring us more sparkles than impeccable execution.

The young wannabe might do well to seek to keep improving bit by bit, following the Japanese kaizen philosophy, instead of slogging so hard for perfection that he has no time to savour the fruits of his successes. Life, in any case, is unpredictable and those seeking predicable outcomes might be in for a surprise on numerous occasions during its course. Savouring the moment, enjoying each day, feeling grateful for family and friends, might indeed be a better personal policy to follow.

Author Natalie Wright said, “Life is not about perfection, it’s about persistence.” In any case we wouldn’t be human if we were perfect, would we? Our moods, lows, and inconsistencies make us the fragile beings that we are. Perfection is to be found only in the soul, perhaps, since it is believed to be one with God. Why the extra striving then? Just chill, chill!