The concept of “perfection” came across my radar this week, via social media. A person was saying in a video that while perfection was unattainable, she could achieve something close to it. I want to take a look at the concept itself, and my hesitation to engage with it myself.
First, I would like to look at this concept in ancient times.
The ancient Greek term τέλειος (Transliteration: teleios) is widely translated as “perfect” in modern English. But the original word meant: complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.) In classical and Koine Greek, teleios (τέλειος) means “complete, brought to its proper end,” and by extension “mature” or “perfect” in the sense of fully realized rather than flawless. It is significant because it frames perfection as wholeness or full development toward a purpose, not errorless performance. In ethical or character contexts (e.g., moral exhortation, virtue language), teleios describes a person whose character is whole, integrated, and lacking essential deficiency, like an adult contrasted with a child.
I then wanted to work the term backwards in time to ancient Hebrew. The closest I could find was the word that is used for “finished” in modern English.
In Hebrew, the word shalam means: to be safe (in mind, body or estate); figuratively, to be (causatively, make) completed.
So as we go back in time and language, the idea of perfection gets even more diluted. In this case, completeness is only the figurative meaning of the word, the actual meaning being “safe”.
Shalem’s significance lies in embodying wholeness (shelemut) across physical, relational, social, and covenantal dimensions, extending beyond mere absence of conflict to prosperity, recompense, and cosmic harmony. It even has an extended meaning of to repay, compensate, or make good after loss/theft, restoring the injured party to fullness.
So from a linguistic perspective, perfection has a true meaning that may signify completion or even safety, but not anything like our modern translation.
I asked AI for works of literature on the concept of perfection, and was happy to see it recommended the story Frankenstein.
Frankenstein’s goal is to create an ideal human form, only to produce a grotesque creature that shatters illusions of human mastery over life. Victor’s hubris in pursuing godlike perfection leads to isolation, ruin, and the creature’s vengeful rejection of its own imperfect existence.
Frankenstein is a perfect distillation of the distorted quest to achieve our own concept of perfection.
In the end, I believe the dangerous track of perfection starts at the misguided attempt to even define it. Older cultures did not define it in our current way, except as an unattainable idea, like Plato’s forms.
In my opinion, in the end, we are all better by rejecting perfection and acknowledging our own, great imperfection. Revel in your imperfection!
