The main reason to build this website is to share my ideas, all of them, even those I won’t dare to share in person. This one, goes into the latter group.

The thing I’ve struggled most in my life is perfection itself, I always try to be the best version of myself, and the best version of myself, would be also the perfect version of myself.

Is Perfection Attainable?

Perfection is often defined as the state of being complete and correct in every way.¹. While true perfection is imposisible for a human to achieve, I believe in striving to be as close to it as possible.

But here’s my bold take:

We Should All Strive for Perfection

Yes, you read that right. Everyone should try to be perfect. But before you dismiss this as unrealistic, let me explain what I mean.

Perfection isn’t just about excelling in one area; it’s about balance. I call this holistic perfection as opposed to superficial perfection, and understanding the difference is crucial

Holistic perfection vs superficial perfection

Holistic perfection is about striving to improve in every meaningful area of life, not just one. Many people chase perfection in a limited sense, and this can be damaging and frustrating. Let’s look at two hypothetical students to illustrate the difference.

The Trap of Superficial Perfection

Imagine a student who is at the top of their class. They dedicate all their energy to being academically perfect but neglect their relationships, emotions, and personal growth. One day, during an ungraded classroom activity, they make a mistake. Their classmates don’t react, they never built meaningful connections with them. The student is devastated. Their self-worth crumbles because their entire identity was built around being “the best” in school.

The Power of Holistic Perfection

Now, picture another student, also top of their class, but instead of fixating solely on academics, they strive for holistic perfection. They work hard in school, but they also invest in friendships, emotional resilience, and self-improvement. During the same classroom activity, they make the same mistake. But instead of feeling crushed, they shake it off. Why? Because school isn’t their whole world. They know that understanding the truth of not being perfect is closer to perfection, than lying to themselves to make them think they are perfect. They know that striving for perfection also means being emotionally balanced and adaptable

Possible Criticism & Rebuttals

I get it, saying that everyone should try to be perfect sounds extreme. You might be thinking:

• "‘Perfect’ people are annoying/irritating/boring."
• “Striving for perfection is exhausting.”
• “Failure is natural, why fight it?”
• “Being perfect in everything is unrealistic.”

Perfect people are annoying.

It’s true, people obsessed with perfection can be irritating. They seek validation and often lack real social skills.

But someone striving for holistic perfection? They aim to be perfect in how they communicate, how they treat others, and how they carry themselves. They don’t need to boast or seek approval. They remain humble, because humility is closer to true perfection than arrogance. Someone that’s perfect and not annoying is more perfect than someone that’s perfect and annoying.

Striving for perfection is exhausting.

Superficial perfection is exhausting. It demands constant external validation, making people feel like they must always prove something.

Holistic perfection, however, is liberating. Instead of obsessing over a single aspect of life, it encourages balance. You’re trying to be the absolute best at everything; everything, of course, includes not sacrificing well-being, caring about your mental health.

Failure is natural, why fight it?

Yes, failure is inevitable, and we should try to avoid it as much as possible. However, someone that confronts failures gracefully is more perfect that someone that breaks when confronted to it.

Trying to be holistically perfect includes being perfect in how you handle failure.

Being perfect in everyting is unrealistic.

Agreed! But that’s not the point. The goal is to try to reach perfection, because, as I said before, being perfect is impossible. Trying to be close to perfection is the main idea here.

My experience with perfectionism.

Now, let’s get personal. I have always been a perfectionist, for as long as I can remember. I don’t know the exact cause of this, but if has often led to intense stress when I fail to meet my own unrealistic standards. Whenever I feel frustrated by my inability to achieve perfection, I remind myself of holistic perfection, after all, a truly perfect person wouldn’t become frustrated over their imperfections.

That’s why I wanted to write this. This thought has been on my mind for a while, and it has genuinely helped me. I don’t want to sound arrogant, but deep down, I’ve always felt somewhat superior to others. Maybe that’s why the usual advice about perfectionism never resonated with me.

• “Everyone makes mistakes.”
• “Yes… everyone but me.”

The concept of holistic perfection helped me reconcile my flaws with that subconscious sense of superiority. Now I strive to be humble because, after all, wouldn’t someone truly “perfect” be humble? Thanks to this shift in mindset, I no longer feel as much pressure from myself, and I genuinely believe I’ve become a better person.