‘Perfect’ Is A Great Target But A Lousy Goal

Striving for something and expecting to achieve it are two very different things.

Photo by Jonathan Hoxmark on Unsplash

We use the word ‘perfect’ a lot and for the most part in an entirely well-intentioned way. We use it to focus our desire for the best of the things we enjoy most or which carry great importance. We try to brew the perfect cup of tea, we try to spend a perfect afternoon with a loved one, we try to perfect our skills, we try to get a perfect score on the test. The desire for ‘perfect’ is well-intentioned because it speaks to our desire for the best possible outcome but we have to be wary about using an impossible theoretical ideal as a defining measurement for achievement and success.

Yes, it is possible to get a ‘perfect’ score on a test assuming the test is set and quantified requiring knowledge which is genuinely accessible. The criteria for what is required to obtain one hundred percent of the possible marks needs to be firmly set and clearly communicated and the person taking the test must have legitimate access to the necessary knowledge or skills. Then achieving a ‘perfect’ score is a valid possibility.

While the use of the word ‘perfect’ is technically valid in this case it is, ironically, not one hundred percent accurate. The maximum score has certainly been achieved. All the questions asked were answered correctly, all the…