functional imperfection

As a lifelong perfectionist I can tell you there is no joy to be found in that pursuit. Instead, seek functional imperfection and let peace and harmony ensue.

I’ve found that it’s not enough to simply accept imperfection as a reality of life. That still leaves a feeling of settling, as if perfection would be great if only it was achievable.

Harry, there is never a perfect answer in this messy, emotional world. Perfection is beyond the reach of humankind, beyond the reach of magic.

Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Far better is to embrace and seek out objects, solutions, goals, and results that represent functional imperfection.

This framing shifts the matter from a disempowering acceptance into an accountable and empowering embrace. It gives one a goal to pursue, rather than simply something to avoid (craving).

Functional imperfection means something that meets needs well enough to be functional, despite its obvious—and unavoidable anyway—imperfection. Some examples could include:

• a 3-year old laptop that sometimes lags a little but runs all the software I need to do my work
• a vehicle that would ideally be a little bigger or sportier but is super efficient and gets me, my passengers, and gear safely to all the places I need to go
• a software application that costs a little more than I’d like, but meets my needs very well and plays an established role in my workflow
• a jacket that regularly sheds a bit of its downy feather stuffing, and has a small hole that I patched, but keeps me warm and easily packs into my backpack pocket

The perfectionist in me sees all of those as opportunities for optimization—problems in need of solutions that, once implemented, will usher in a new era of productivity and happiness.

If we are taken over by craving, no matter who or what is before us, all we can see is how it might satisfy our needs.

Tara Brach in Radical Acceptance

The only-slightly wiser version of me knows (at least some of the time) that trying to optimize those situations is unlikely to lead to a meaningful increase in happiness. In fact, the craving for optimization will probably lead to a decrease in happiness.

One reason is that replacing something is itself a process that takes time and energy (and usually money). That panacea I was after turns out to be a mirage and I’m right back where I started—with something functional but imperfect—while wasting hours and dollars in the process.

Of course this applies not just to things but also to situations, feelings, experiences and more. The concept of functional imperfection applies to all of life.

Embracing functional imperfection feels like having a burden lifted from my shoulders, an item crossed off my to-do list. Instead of having a problem to solve, I get to feel grateful for something that works pretty well. I can feel good about reducing consumption and waste. I can enjoy an object’s character and story.

There is plenty in life that is dysfunctional and in genuine need of improvement. Embracing functional imperfection frees valuable bandwidth to work towards solutions to the real problems.