Stories

Beyond Imperfection

To love oneself, I’ve often noticed, is often misconstrued as to assume one is perfect. True self-love, in my view, is the acceptance that while one is not perfect, one is worthy of love and respect. It is realizing that imperfections are part of the human condition – that it doesn't translate to a lack of need for improvement. In fact, recognizing the areas where we can grow is a healthy, integral aspect of self-love. It allows us to embrace our entirety, fostering growth not despite our flaws, but because of them.

The Rubric Illusion

When we assess ourselves in professional settings, physical health, etc. we often apply a rubric—a set of standards or criteria by which we can measure growth, improvement, and deterioration. An illustrative moment from my life was during an interview I was asked to assess my own performance. When asked why I had marked myself as lower than perfect. I cited arriving late and other minor infractions. So, is my next interview going to be perfect, now that I got lower marks? Or am I never again going to be late? This interaction highlighted that while self-evaluation is critical, it should also be contextual. The scores we assign ourselves or the areas we aim to improve are snapshots, confined by specific contexts and moments. They are not, and should not be seen as, comprehensive evaluations of our worth or potential. Recognizing this can liberate us from undue harshness towards ourselves, allowing us to focus on growth without the burden of perceived perpetual inadequacy.

Coddling the Ego

True self-love must be distinguished from the mere coddling of one’s ego by retreating into a self-affirming bubble. It involves a willingness to confront one’s flaws. It requires breaking away from the comfortable delusions about one’s infallibility or superiority. Embracing not only our imperfections and the occasional helplessness in the face of challenges, and moving forward with resilience, and most importantly, recognizing our potential for improvement does not undermine self-love; rather, it reinforces it by fostering genuine self-awareness and growth. This type of love encourages us to take risks, challenge our limitations, and engage with the world in a more open and honest way.

In Conclusion

From concept to creation: See how the illustrations of ‘Kashti’ evolved. 📖✍️

Long ago, the world was dark.

“Let there be light!” said a powerful voice!

The Sun and the Moon were entrusted with giving light to the world.

The mighty Sun said to the Moon, “I have more than enough light and heat for the world. You relax. I’ve got this!” The gentle Moon argued, “But why? Since we’re both tasked with it, we should both divide the work equally.” The Sun replied, “Well, I hate to tell you this, but you’re not that bright.”

The Moon felt insulted! But the Sun was too big and too hot to mess with. So, keeping calm, the Moon asserted, “Look, I’m every bit as capable as you, and we are doing this together.” The Sun, now getting impatient, started glowing brighter and was soon blazing with fury. “I said, I will light up the earth alone!”

The Sun shone so bright that the world began to suffer. Forests caught fire, rivers and seas started drying up, and animals were driven to hide in caves to shelter themselves. The stars and the clouds all gathered around the quarreling duo.

Seeing the earth suffer due to their quarrel, the Sun and the Moon decided to make a truce. They agreed that the heat of the Sun was so great that the earth would have to stay at a distance. And the Moon could not light it from that far so it would have stay close to the earth. Even though it meant the Sun and the Moon couldn’t be together, they decided to do what was best for the world.