I've come to terms with what it means for me to be regarded as a perfectionist. It is always so trivial to define a perfectionist as one who is overtly concerned and driven by perfection, an individual in a relentless pursuit for perfect outcomes and an insatiable desire to relish in moments of triumphant, ushered in by a bout of perfection no less.

And still that says nothing of what it truly means to embrace the ideals of a perfectionist. This certainly begs the question: What does it mean to be perfect?

It is inevitable that we associate characteristics such as megalomania or being uncomfortably uptight with 'perfectionists'. Those are merely symptoms of having been diagnosed with such a "condition" as opposed to the root cause of the problem. It must be ironic that perfectionists are never themselves perfect, and yet to many, they consider themselves almost claiming the iron throne of flawlessness. To put things into a more accurate perspective, perfectionists are perfect in their own eyes, and through those same physical lenses, everything else in the physical realm pales in comparison to their supreme being and thus manifests themselves as things which are beneath the title of 'perfect'. In other words, perfection is a measure of one's relative acceptance of another's flaws.

Perfection is the concept of finding beauty in off-putting flaws, and still subconsciously embracing that perfection is a flawed ideal.

It is not so much a truth to accept than a mentality when people judge other things to be deemed worthy of perfection or not. It is ultimately biased when placed in accordance to one's judgement because every different individual has their own fair (or unfair) way of assessing how perfect another being or object is. And more oft than not, the criteria set by perfectionists themselves are based off their own persona and character, and even then exaggerated multiple folds, such that to them, nothing else comes close to perfection than they way they had envisioned things to be or how they themselves react to situations. It is a pitiful condition that is often looked upon as an impetus to better oneself when it should be chided for being rigid and unconditionally stubborn. Because to a perfectionist, everything reeks of foul flaws and the stench is so putrid, it is hard to look past that and gaze at the beauty of said person or object.

But I have also come to realize that their is a fine but nonetheless distinct difference between the idea of 'perfection' and something that is 'perfect'. Perfection is the mindset of finding something or someone perfect (based on one's own biased definition) yet something that is 'perfect' (and by no means determined to be perfect or otherwise by anyone else) is not flawless but perfectly appropriate and apt.

I know that as a perfectionist, there will never be anyone I can truly find to match what I imagine in my ideal girl (as with many others, perfectionist or not). But as hard as it is to accept flaws in people, come the day that I meet someone who despite her gaping flaws has won my acceptance, I know then that she may not be perfect in the entirety of the word, but she is perfect for me.

Perfection is only a beauty when you see the flaws in it.