Thursday, November 9, 2023
I know a couple of people who rarely misstep. They play their roles with a painfully heightened awareness. They maneuver through life as though they are under severe scrutiny by “the world.” But they are only scrutinizing themselves. They’re perfectionists, and operate like a mechanized security guard. They wouldn’t want to be caught with their pants down, being a “normal” human.
Your “humanness” slips through the cracks of your tough exterior. Perfectionists however, never allow anyone to see their vulnerability. That’s a sign of weakness. They very much dislike curve balls, as it takes them out of “character,” leaving them feeling exposed. But the real magic of life comes when you let it all hang out, so to speak. Drop the facade and let the real you come out.
It’s going to come off one way or another. If the facade is strong, you don’t see the naked depth of divine truth and innocence. You see fear. You see the idea of a person, not the real person. You see the image that they wish to portray, not the authentic expression. The perfectionist is in hiding all the time. If we didn’t hide behind a facade to some extent, however, we wouldn’t recognize each other. But, it’s the perfectionist who hides best, or so they think. It’s fear that holds the facade together; but fear is the illusion we see through. If there is a slight break in the facade, a peek of vulnerability, a misstep, or a brief moment of levity, they’ll cover up the “mistake,” trust me. Forrest Gump wasn’t a perfectionist. He lived truthfully. He was seen as an ignoramus by some, yet he possessed endearing qualities that gave him power and access to the treasures of the world. I realize he was fictional, but so are perfectionists.