In this era, we fail to recognise several things. Sometimes, while dealing with our insecurities or striving to be accepted by society and fulfilling their expectations, we wrong ourselves without even realising it. Trying to appear perfect is one of them.

Imperfections are what defines us as humans. No individual ever created is completely perfect. We all carry our imperfections varying from person to person. Some are extremely proficient at hiding them while others busy themselves ‘covering’ them.

You see, having imperfections is never a problem, but denying them is. We, as human beings, are meant to have shortcomings and we should view them as normal, rather than feel insecure about them. The very first step towards self-love and development is accepting who you are wholeheartedly as, without doing so, you will be unable to work on yourself and improve towards strengthening your weaknesses.

We often fear that we may appear imperfect in someone’s eyes and this fear leads to self-condemnation. For instance, while doing a task we are not proficient at, we try to perfect it, but it does not turn out as perfect. So, we criticise ourselves, feeling worthless and devalued. This apprehension makes us think that we will not fit in with society. This can cause low self-esteem and loss of confidence in oneself.

A misconception is that imperfection means failure. Being slightly substandard and flawed does not make you a failure. It simply means that you are normal. Even if you fail to achieve something, it does not mean that you are contemptible, as there might be other things you can do in a better way. Therefore, never feel down for failing as it does not come from imperfections, but from working towards the wrong goal. One should know their strengths and endeavour towards enhancing them.

So, making mistakes is fine. Asking someone for help when you need it is fine.

Not being the best in everything is fine. Not being the know-it-all is fine. Not meeting the standards every single time is fine and, most importantly, being imperfect is fine.

Published in Dawn, Young World, December 7th, 2024