Pursuit of Perfection
Posted 3/22/2008 by smartblackboy in Labels: art, christianity, Gatsby, God, lexus, perfection, philosophy, san francisco, smartblackboy, Washington
I had an interesting conversation with a girl from San Francisco about whether the pursuit of perfection is good or bad.
She said that if you pursue perfection you can never be happy. She recommended pursuing excellence instead.
I argued that excellence consists of mastering what already exists and pursuing perfection consists of inventing things that don't exist.
Pefection is an ideal. And, as a gentlemen from Washington added, ideals can be appropriated.
I think that there is nothing wrong with not ever being satisfied. In fact I would argue that not being satisfied is a christian ideal. How can one be satisfied in this world that we live in? Still, I believe one can be happy and one can be content and one can live a life full of meaning.
But I just don't believe that it is possible unless one lives ones life in pursuit of an ideal and what better ideal than perfection which is merely another name for God.
Even if one can never actually become one's ideal, the process, the journey one takes in trying to get there will lead to a vigorous and full life, and will also take you higher than you can conceive of.
It will cause you to dream and then to pursue those dreams. It will cause you to create things that don't exist. Pursuing perfection is our attempt for our mind's to romp with God.
It is where all great art originates - right at the point where we abandon the emptiness of excellence and embrace the uncertainity of creation.
She said that if you pursue perfection you can never be happy. She recommended pursuing excellence instead.
I argued that excellence consists of mastering what already exists and pursuing perfection consists of inventing things that don't exist.
Pefection is an ideal. And, as a gentlemen from Washington added, ideals can be appropriated.
I think that there is nothing wrong with not ever being satisfied. In fact I would argue that not being satisfied is a christian ideal. How can one be satisfied in this world that we live in? Still, I believe one can be happy and one can be content and one can live a life full of meaning.
But I just don't believe that it is possible unless one lives ones life in pursuit of an ideal and what better ideal than perfection which is merely another name for God.
Even if one can never actually become one's ideal, the process, the journey one takes in trying to get there will lead to a vigorous and full life, and will also take you higher than you can conceive of.
It will cause you to dream and then to pursue those dreams. It will cause you to create things that don't exist. Pursuing perfection is our attempt for our mind's to romp with God.
It is where all great art originates - right at the point where we abandon the emptiness of excellence and embrace the uncertainity of creation.
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