Recently, I was scrolling endlessly on TikTok and came across a video with a quote saying, “There is no shame in making mistakes while trying to figure things out. The goal is to live a fulfilling life, not a perfect one.” The quote is shockingly true. Many people, including myself, think that you cannot make mistakes in your life. Everyone has the pressure to be perfect. It is an invisible weight that many carry. 

Society has created expectations that are not realistic and impossible to handle. We as humans are supposed to have changes, mess up, and learn from our mistakes. Everyone strives to be perfect and make no mistakes. However, in this world everything is highlighted in the key best moments rather than the truth of how life actually is. 

The pressure happens in everything that a person does. But one is through school.

Many students hold the pressure to have perfect straight As and score nothing lower than a 90% on a test. Not only do students put this stress on themselves, they have to deal with the burden from parents and teachers in which they compare them to others. 

Social media is a big contributor that tricks people’s mind to chase perfection in the way society defines it. Many platforms make it so easy to post only the highest or best parts of your life rather than the struggle that is faced by an everyday person. We are constantly comparing our insecurities to others when they post. It is so unfair that we do that to ourselves because it puts us into a negative state of mind.

Perfection is a moving target. The more a person goes after it, the more they drift away. The thing that was once considered good is now below the average. Especially in sports, athletes are taught that performance is the most important part of the game. Not only that, many juggle homework, work, training, and social activities simultaneously. It is a challenge for athletes to try to meet the standard of perfection. 

Perfection isn’t something that people remember in the end. Instead, they remember the bad grade, game, race, and all the mistakes that occurred throughout the process. People need to start letting go of the idea of perfection; it doesn’t mean a person is determined to achieve less. Giving up perfection creates an easier understanding of the idea of growth from mistakes and that failure has worth rather than negativity. 

Many people will continue to try to become perfect and refuse to make mistakes, but they are chasing the wrong thing.

No one will ever need to be perfect because every flaw creates you to be an exceptional and refined person.