Watch Out
I notice that it appears — in our increasingly polarized world— perfectionism, which is unattainable, offers a temptation that more folks become entrapped by.
Perhaps it goes along in parallel with a contemporary political trend in which many people see their position on a given matter as 100% right and the position of their adversary as 100% wrong. Our language has evolved to reflect this. One example: a Republican who does not march in lock step with the loudest voice in the room runs the high risk of being tagged as a “RINO.” It wasn't all that long ago when Republicans talked about having a “big tent,” able to accommodate an amalgamation of different and varied thoughts, impulses, and opinions.
One afternoon years ago I heard Rush Limbaugh on a rant in opposition to the GI Bill. Roughly 10 million American military personnel needed to be demobilized at the conclusion of the war and reintegrated into the emerging peace time economy. Did the bill do it perfectly? Surely not. But when it came to excessive government intervention, the GI Bill did not exactly qualify as low hanging fruit. To be fair, Rush was more of an entertainer than a policy expert.
To look through the theological lens, it’s a fallen world comprised of imperfect mortals. Some things that get tried will work out pretty well on balance and other times we’ll muddle through.
I thought of this the other day when reading about the imploded FTX. By report, the record keeping there was a mess. How the bankruptcy people were going to piece together the numbers looked to be a very daunting task. But, because of a fortuitous escalation in the price of Bitcoin, it now appears that those who invested will get back the money they put in. Luck and skill collaborated to produce a better-than-expected outcome.
There are some things which occur that look to be near perfect and perhaps this is part of what keeps the aspirational illusion alive. I think of this when I see Simone Biles execute a maneuver. Growing up in Boston, I’d watch Bobby Orr play at Bruins games. He never looked like he was breaking a sweat, even though he was.
There was a headline today that Ron DeSantis thinks that book banning in Florida may have gone too far. Oh really. Don’t like a book? Get rid of it. Sounds like a “perfect” solution. Except it isn’t.
In short-there will never be heaven here on earth. As they say, “Fuggetaboutit.” Just go out and do the best you can reasonably do. Most of the time that will get you through.