Perfection is a silly thing that shouldn’t be applied to humans. Somehow we convince ourselves that we can be or that certain people are. It is a silly notion because it doesn’t exist. We are all flawed and to that we are wired to be different. The human default system isn’t programmable, there is no one size fits all personality. The “suits” was a derogatory term for men who gave up their personality to fit the company standard. I’m thinking early IBM, FBI, and the Matrixs. A man would just be a corporate cog. All to fit a false standard of perfection in business. Perfection is a myth- imagine the perfect person. Now imagine hanging out with them. Yeah, it doesn’t work. It is our imperfections that bind us together and make us loveable. As stupid as that is, it is simply true. Yet, we peddle ideas that we should become the best version of ourselves. For years, I let that thought float around in my head, what the fuck is the best version of me? I didn’t think to myself, it is a bullshit assumption and there isn’t a better version of me. No, I embraced the thought like a reason for my failures. I didn’t achieve, succeed or thrive because I am not the best version of myself. I need to change. After all, those suits did it, they succeeded. I was the problem.
Religion is based on you not being enough. The same goes for the self-help industry. The hook, the pull is you become good enough to be accepted, or for you to be good enough that you can go after your dreams. The acknowledgment that you are shit, is the first step in convincing you that they have a general solution to your specific problem, which is you being you. Sinner, broken, and poor in some kind of way. The leaders of these groups seem polished, perfect, and living their best life now. And if you follow them, buy their books, attend their church, and devote yourself to their way of life, you too can be perfect. Perfectly full of shit.
“Have No fear of perfection – you’ll never reach it.”
Salvador Dali
For a long time I thought, oh, the best version of ourselves is the most loving version. And for a long time that worked for me. Because I couldn’t imagine a happy perfect version of myself. So I would just try to be loving, and suggested other people be loving. To me a loving person checked off the boxes of what perfect could be. But I was missing something. I was missing what actually made people successful, something that made a person them. Being loving makes you a better person for sure, with loving comes understanding and a better life, but it doesn’t move your goals forward. But to be outgoing. Mind fucking blown. The best version of yourself is loving and outgoing. It is a version of you that loves themselves, others, life, and is outgoing; willing to meet new people, try new things, put their ideas out there and stick up for them. Now these two characteristics won’t make you perfect, but in my opinion it makes you the best version of yourself. The reason being is you don’t have to change who you are, not a perfect you, but a you that others want to be around and actually participates in life.
That is it for now, have a great weekend.
Nino Olson 