I
recently had a bracing comment made by a person whom I deeply respect that was
one of those utterances that rang in my ears long after and became even more
bracing as time elapsed.
The
person said, “You have mentioned >>>>> perfection
<<<<< a lot lately.” The person then said, in words that I do not
remember exactly but echo in my brain as “Perfection is an unattainable
idea; it is better to just do the best
we can and put perfection aside.”
As
we talked, the person seemed to misunderstand my own idea of perfection and to
be inconsistent in usage of the term in [that person’s--- I’m not going to reveal identity or even
gender as I relay this conversation] comments.
I pointed out that this person had often self-identified as
perfectionist, in that way that can inhibit assertive action that might reveal
performance short of perfection. This
person acknowledged that my observation was correct and tacitly admitted [this
person’s] contradiction in characterizations.
I
commented that ironically that while I assertively pursue Perfection, I label
myself as a “near-perfectionist” willing to take risks in my endeavors that can
result in others observing my lack of perfection.
I
then, in essence, gave a fairly full exposition of my own view, which is as
follows.
I
was spiritually and intellectually mature at an early age, putting literal
interpretations of the Bible at the periphery while taking the example of
Christ-like behavior very seriously and putting my best approximation of that
behavior to work in the world with a healthy disregard for the opinion of my
fellows (I’ll trust to your memory of my experiential epiphany at age 10 that
forever left me with little regard for the social evaluations of others).
A
passage that rings in my ears and sings in my heart to this day is “Be ye
therefore perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect.”
My
partner in conversation did not remember my multiple mention of this passage
from Matthew 5:48, which to me contributed to the conversational evidence that
[this person] did not comprehend my own view very well.
For
me, this moral charge from a Moral Paragon is to be taken seriously and
resonates also with the spirit of the Enlightenment; and in my view, that quest for human
perfectibility is one of two great counterforces (the other being a conservative
distrust of change) working dialectically for resolution in a way that will
determine human destiny.
For
me, Perfection is resonant with Plato’s Forms and the Ideal of Truth pursued
while holding on to truth with a lower case “t” under the assumption that “t”
and “T” may prove to be an identity---
but if not, then the moral obligation is to adjust one’s view, holding
on to another “t” while continuing the pursuit for “T.”
....................................................................................
Perfection,
for those who grasp the validity of the concept and have some chance of
approaching the ideal, is a moral obligation.
Other terms could be used: Plato’s
Forms, satyagraha’s T, Moral Ideal, Paramount Goal, Ultimate
Virtue. I use such terms in identity
with Perfection, finding the latter to be particularly clear.
Quest
for Perfection assumes that this earthly sojourn has value and therefore is to
be lived at the height of morality, ethics, empathy, and altruism.
I
regard my quest for Perfection as the paramount guide in my life, resulting in
an abiding goal of maximally efficient time usage. My quest for Perfection and the realization
of great time efficiency has had several results that I regard as
extraordinarily positive, among them, very briefly rendered: wanting to be the best child of my parents
that I can be; wanting to be the best
life partner that I can be; wanting to
be the best father that I can be;
wanting to be the best teacher that I can be; wanting to be the best scholar and accumulator
of knowledge that I can be; wanting to
take action in the world that makes possible the approach of Perfection of the
world in centuries to come.
And
the quest for Perfection in association with the above strivings has resulted
in having become the best teacher whom I have ever met; the formal publication of six books and
pending formal publication of two and quite possibly many more; the establishment of the life-transforming
New Salem Educational Initiative; the
development of multiple platforms for advocacy, including in-person activism that
puts a great idea for K-12 Revolution into the ether of human experience and
rumination. And I fervently hope and in
my own view have approached Perfection in the various relationships noted
above.
In
the spirit of Perfection, every moment is lived with gratitude.
One
says “I love you” with full emotional force, very seldom if ever rendered
quickly as “Luv ya.”
Every
kiss matters for full focus.
Every
hug is to be felt fully.
One
lives and gives and appreciates with focused gratitude every moment in
life: every bite taken, meal cooked,
smile rendered, conversation experienced, appeal made, lament shared.
I
trust that such an ethic is the reason why I have had multiple people say to
me, including strangers, “Geez, I never told anyone that before.”
Seeking
Perfection makes all the more painful those many moments in my life when I have
fallen short and said or done things that are insensitive, hurtful,
unproductive--- or result in missed
opportunity to do Good. That’s why I
also identify as “The World’s Most Guilty-Feeling Person.”
But
the goal of Perfection is the Ideal to be pursued, if possible according to
one’s personality and life circumstances (as I determined at an early age my
own personality and good fortune certainly did allow).
For
those for whom the pursuit of Perfection is not possible, the next best
alternative is to be a good, kind, sweet, empathetic, jovial presence in the
world that leaves others better for that presence in their lives.
For
too many, this one earthly sojourn ensues in a confused amalgam of ignorance,
immorality, opportunity either unavoidably closed or not grasped. This is the definition of Hell.
Those
who live in quest for Perfection or, next best, as good people in the world,
experience an approximation of Heaven.
Awareness
of the alternative should, for those who experience an approximation of Heaven,
result in walking with gratitude all the days of their lives.
