Jessica Pîncotan, 11F
The concept of perfection frames the image of aesthetic, literary and societal aspects of life that convey a luring, yet elusive ideal. Hence, humans have been aspiring to touch the ideal sphere of existence for centuries, but failing to recall their primordial origin: flaw. Therefore, what draws the desire for perfection, and how is it governed by the illusory perfection of a deformed reality?
To start with, the problem of idealism raises queries about reality as a whole! Considering reality as the objective sphere of subjective realities, idealism can easily reflect a wound in perception. Therefore, from an idealistic perspective, beauty is not in the eye of the beholder, but it also exists in an objective form. Reflecting upon literature, the metaphor of the ideal portrait is illustrated in 'The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde, where the facade of perfect aestheticism conceals the rotting ugliness. Moreover, the main character, Dorian Gray, has a Faustian pact in which he trades his soul with the devil so he could stay young forever. Nevertheless, his intention in proved to be fallible, due to his inhuman condition that no longer fits in the human world, which is flawed and temporary. This mirrors that the standards for an inhumane state which is deeply desired cannot be touched by a human, as happiness does not merely transcend the human heart.
Another factor to consider is the issue of idols that contour the image of a realistic approach to idealized aspects, which makes it impossible for both of them to coincide, for instance, social media represents the broadest pool of idealization, as celebrities or influencers are portrayed in their flawless form. In addition, as their private lives are accessible to the public eye, the audience tends to compare lifestyles, and seem to fail to find shortcomings in their idols' lives. On the one hand, as long as information is well-filtered and adjusted to the audience's perception, idols can embody inspiration as role models. For instance, a selective and critical audience may correlate with a few facets of an 'idealistic' life. On the other hand, by desiring to completely adopt another's persona l, one would always feel less in touch with themselves. Consequently, unfulfillment is highlighted by a continuous walk to recreate the portrait of an already sculpted idol. As we are the architects of our own lives, we shall not thieve what we know is an illusion of perfection. A further perspective is connected to perfection viewed as an extension to subjectivity, comprised of the rational side of the human brain. In other terms, there is a constant battle between the rational and the irrational brain in daily life. For instance, making the right choice, planning the future, deciding how to embrace emotions and understanding them requires the final conclusion drawn by our thoughts. High-achievers may find themselves attempting to rationalize abstract aspects such as the future when they are in the process of winning.
Nevertheless, all assumptions made about the future could become harmful to the achiever's perception which tries to expand itself over the present moment. To highlight this statement, the painting 'The Scream' by Edvard Munch portrays emotion mixed with distortion, as the head of the subject is contoured by the surroundings expressing the fluidity of one's expression and how inner thoughts can alter reality. An aim to perfection may harm the true perception of things, as the human soul is not made to see more than it is. To conclude with, the concept of tangible perfection is flawed itself as the creator of the concept is flawed too. Furthermore, using idealization as a motivational tool may serve as an enhancer of insight. As the world sprouts inside the soul, so it blooms on the outside, reflecting the same beautiful course.
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