Perfection

I've been inundated lately with my composition students asking me how to do some writing task or some aspect of the general process of writing to perfection:

"How do I write the perfect thesis?" 

"How can I write a perfect essay?"

"How do I read with perfect understanding?"

Part of me is amused by these questions, while another part of me is perplexed, and yet another part of me is saddened that they believe any human endeavor can result in perfection.

My amusement stems from the naïve impression many have that they MUST be perfect, that they MUST achieve perfection, that their participation in one class is going to cause them to no longer have any flaws in their thinking or writing.  This part of me chuckles each time I hear the questions they ask with frustrated desperation.  I once had an instructor tell our art history class that because Michaelangelo himself was not perfect (as she invoked the example of the "out-of-proportion" hands on his David sculpture), no one in the class could earn an A, which implied perfection.  Sheesh!  I'm not that looney!  To me, an A does not signify perfection; it signifies a level of excellence has been achieved--excellence, not perfection--and that is to be commended.

“Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it.”  ― Salvador Dalí

Another part of me is mystified that young people think that perfection is even possible.  I try to explain to them that perfection is nonexistent, especially in writing, because our thought process is not perfect, i.e., "entirely without any flaws, defects or shortcomings" as per Dictionary.com.  The key word here is entirely, and while we can strive for perfection in our thoughts and in our writing, it is not an achievable goal.  Realistically, we can hope to lay claim to a spectrum of effectiveness in our thinking and writing.  This is in part because we often don't have all of the possible information; we are not all-knowing.  It is also in part because we tend to be ego-centered, happily planted in our own little sphere of knowledge and experiences. 

“If you look for perfection, you'll never be content.”  ― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

Then there is the other part of me that is saddened.  I am dismayed that as a society we have somehow told a generation of young people that they must achieve perfection or that they are not worthy of our notice.  I am troubled that we have a generation of young people who clearly believe that our humanness is capable of perfection.  I am even frustrated that, somehow, we forgot to tell our youth that humans are a constant work-in-progress, which implies imperfection.  This all doesn't mean that we can't reach for that pinnacle; it just means we shouldn't set ourselves up for so lofty a goal that it stifles our ability to even TRY.

“I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God's business.”   ― Michael J. Fox

Not coincidentally, a young lady this evening approached me and said she was on the verge of a panic attack because she had an assignment due and had been unable to complete it because she was anxious that it wouldn't be perfect...after some coaching, I believe she is rethinking her position about perfection.  At least, I hope so.

SOURCES:
"Perfect." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. n.d.  Web.  12 Feb. 2014.

"Quotes about Perfection." Goodreads. Goodreads, Inc., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.