The Ism of My Perfectionism

"An unexamined life is not worth living," so said Socrates.
"The unlived life is not worth examining," so riposted an anonymous!

I don't know if he is a perfectionist, but what Socrates said is clearly one of my personal definitions of being a perfectionist. Philosophically and theoretically, a perfectionist is someone who believes that the perfection of moral character constitutes a person's highest good and that a state of freedom from sin is attainable on earth. Nah, that's not me! A hedonist like myself extols the carpe diem ideal, Renaissance's Humanism, 17th-century Metaphysical, late-18th-century Romanticism, and early-19th-century Transcendentalism. I thus view perfectionism differently. For example:

• Anything short of perfection is, at times, unacceptable.

• To a perfectionist, home is a place for everything and where everything is in place.

• Strangely enough, I discovered that OCD and procrastination are found to be a perfectionist's best friend.

Also, I agreed with these adages:

• "Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without."
  - Confucius, Analects

• "Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."
  - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

• "Perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things, but in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well."
  - Angelique Arnauld

• "The indefatigable pursuit of an unattainable perfection--even though nothing more than the pounding of an old piano--is what alone gives a meaning to our life on this unavailing star."
  - Logan Pearsall Smith

Though, many people embrace negative views on perfection or think that it's useless or even unattainable, to me, it's quite a good ol' trait. Having to get everything just right, perfect and in absolute order tired me and gave me headaches at times, but I'm not like a control freak who never compromises. The world is not that rigid or regimented for me. I do agree that perfectionism is a double-edged sword, but I implement it as a dandy lil' device to make my life *plenary* and fulfilled. In short, my perfectionism tends to be considerably scientific--that is, at times, it's psychological; sometimes, medical.

In the midst of the present world where everything is so chaotic and busy, my perfectionistic psyche always seeks refuge in a spiritual sanctuary where nature and serenity gracefully co-exist. It's a warm and safe womb that foster my soul. Sometimes I resort to the teachings of the Lord Buddha.

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