The Prison of Perfection

By Vagdha S

A teenager deletes selfie after selfie, believing that perfection brings life, yet it only makes mannequins: flawless and lifeless. This is not just one teenager’s struggle−it is the culture of a society that worships flawless masks over genuine faces. But the very thing we fear−our flaws−spares us from becoming replicas and makes us human. The obsession with flawlessness is shaping how we live and who we allow ourselves to be. Society’s chase for unrealistic ideals blinds us with an illusion of perfection; it is the imperfection and authenticity that reveal a more compassionate world.

Today everyone wants to be someone, but not themselves. The teenager struggles to post a perfect picture in Instagram, as the celebrity-influenced beauty standards push them into believing that “they’re not enough”. They start to believe that social media filters enhance their beauty. These thoughts force them to change themselves into someone they’re not. One of the approaches is plastic surgery, trading their natural selves for artificial versions. This obsession with perfection extends to academics and careers. A child cries for losing a single mark because it’s not the “perfect” score. Students set aside their dreams to take up the societally approved careers, but the competition is so insane that they pressurize themselves to be the “perfect” candidate. The raw truth is that most of the ideals shift with time and humans try to keep up with them, although they know it is absurd. The flawless body in the 1920s’ is the quiet contrast of what is considered ideal today. Society has always wrestled with what is ‘perfect’, even Ancient Greece expected perfectionism in art and statues but Aristotle’s “Golden Mean” taught balance, not extremes.  

The cost of chasing perfection isn’t shiny, but heavy. The teenager, trying to fit into the social media world, loses identity and forgets who they are under the mask. The constant reminder of fitting in pushes them into the verge of mental disorders. Their mind becomes anxious and depressive in social scenarios. Dieting at an extreme level for the “perfect” body traps them into the loop of eating disorders and overwork can also exhaust them. A person who runs towards flawlessness loses the joy and creativity in their life. They are left nothing, but a scripted life to be lived. This system of ideals deprives people of authenticity and humanity. 

A world where everything looks the same is scary. When everyone is pressured to bend to the same standards of looks, behavior, and career paths, originality and creativity leave the stage and an identical world is born. Uniformity kills the vibrant lights of the earth and destroys the creative minds. The pursuit of idealized perfection made them hide their flaws and humanity, therefore distancing themselves emotionally. Relationships weaken and get shallow, losing emotional connections in the society. Humanity is hidden under these flawless masks and underneath is a genuine face, yearning for approval. People are terrified of the idea of showing their true selves in the society, therefore they act out their whole life. 

Everyone fails, but only some have the ability to recognize the growth in it. A fit body is not achieved in a single day by doing the “perfect” workout but by trying out different varieties of workout each day. Not every single one of them works for the body but experience and resilience is built. And when worked out consistently, there will be progress and growth, which surpasses the fear and shame in the minds. Some might question the validity in this instance. A person working out is trying to change their body; is this authentic? No, it is not. Work out to improve your body, not change it. Being authentic is being true to themselves while still learning and improving. Japanese art of kintsugi is the making of broken pottery more precious with golden cracks, a symbol of finding beauty in imperfection, and it was a global trend at that time. Thus real progress comes from embracing flaws and reality.

A teenager takes a selfie and smiles at it with a genuine face. It was not a mannequin but a human with flawed beauty. The illusion of perfection has faded, and the flawless masks have been removed, revealing a more compassionate society where we value authenticity over validation. This is the world everyone should thrive in. As Leonard Cohen said, “There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”

By Vagdha S