Stephen Hawking once said, “One of the basic rules of the universe is that nothing is perfect. Perfection simply doesn’t exist. Without imperfection, neither you nor I would exist.” The idea of perfection is something that I struggle with and many of my peers struggle with. The World Health Organization has recorded that a record number of young people worldwide are suffering from serious depression or anxiety orders. This is because of perfectionism, and it’s a problem. 

I, for one, strive to be the best that I can. I work hard in school, make all A’s, play soccer, am active in my church, and I think that I’m a decent enough writer. (I mean, you’re reading this, right?) Yet, for all of the things that I do and am proud of, it’s not enough. No matter how hard I try, I will never be the best. Or, at least, not to the level that I think that I’m capable of. For me, it’s all or nothing, and that is something that I realize is not healthy. 

The thing is, society portrays the world around us and the people around us as perfect. Social media shows lifestyles and people who are living lives that seem to be what we all should be striving for. Colleges and institutions set strict parameters that students must meet to even have a chance of being accepted into their programs. Parents and teachers expect teenagers to juggle school, work, and other activities along with family life and obligations. The idea of failure is an ever-present fear in the minds of today’s youth. 

But what can be done? It’s not like we can change the minds of the world and flip the lens that we view ourselves under immediately. I have struggled with this for a long time and what I’ve realized is that it’s okay if you don’t do everything perfectly. Actually, it’s better if you’re not perfect. That means that you’re healthy and human. 

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t try or that you should accept the mindset that failing at everything is okay because that’s not what I’m proposing. I’m saying that trying and moving forward is a better mindset. In AP US History, we had a discussion about what does progress really means. Interesting points were made, but what I want to emphasize is that progress outweighs perfection. So you may not be the smartest or the fastest, but you’re putting forth effort, you’re learning, and you’re getting better than you were. That’s what really matters and that’s all that anyone can ever ask for. 

With so much pressure and competition, it can be hard to remember that perfection isn’t the end all be all. As I mentioned earlier, I have a lot on my plate. As much as a try, I’m not going to be perfect at everything. And between you and me, sometimes that gets to my self-esteem. That’s why I’m writing this article. I’m actually even writing this a day late and it probably will have grammatical errors that my editors will have to comb through. While I get onto myself about not turning this article in on time and come up with reasons why I should have done better, I realize that sometimes I need to go easier on myself. I’m not excusing my behavior, but I’m taking what I have done and using it to grow. 

So maybe instead of working so hard to become perfect, teenagers like myself can work on becoming just simply better. Not the perfect student, but maybe just a little bit better than we are now without causing us to think that everything has to be the best or else we’ve failed. I think that it’s possible. Leo Tolstoy said that “If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content.” I’d much rather be content with myself than perfect and I think that you would too.