The Quest For Perfection In Today's Society

The search for perfection has always been a part of the human condition. Throughout history the act of worshiping an idol and asking for his assistance is evidence of humanity’s quest for perfection. Humans, by praying to higher beings, are admitting their own faults and confirming their desire for perfection. This is not only addressed in ancient and modern religions, but also in today’s society. Women today have to conform to strict societal roles to be seen as perfect. The presence of photoshopped images and other edited forms of photographs and videos in the media make people crave an idealized version of themselves and those around them. While looking perfect pertains to the body and the search for perfection to the mind, both are an introspective

Whether or not one is aware of the primitive desire to be perfect depends entirely on his own introspective abilities. Humans are genetically prone to attempt perfection. Historically, attempts at perfection were a survival tactic. If one was weak or flawed they would perish. People are constantly beginning new endeavors to attempt to reach an utopic way of life. These aspirations often give society the opportunity to morph and expand, changing either the way people live, or expectations for the future. Parents raise their children with the hope they will achieve greatness, or at least surpass mediocrity. However, one cannot always account for the inevitable flaws in humanity, such as greed, deception, or lapses in morality. In his work The Idylls of the King, Alfred, Lord Tennyson addresses human error and the innate desire for refinement and the ideal. In The Passing of Arthur, Tennyson uses Bedivere’s betrayal and Arthur’s authority and God-like attributes to represent human conflict and imperfections, proving people should always seek perfection for the betterment of

Bedivere clings to the sword not only because he is entranced by its beauty, but because he believes that King Arthur is a God, despite the fact that Arthur is mortal. He believes that Excalibur has the power to keep “the Arthurian past embodi[ed] and thus alive” (Kroll). Disposing of the sword would be seen as a betrayal because of the sword’s value. The sword was owned by a great king and held monetary value, and by disposing of the sword Bedivere would destroy every trace there was of Arthur, due to his lack of heirs. This is similar to the relationship between Beowulf and Wiglaf; however, Wiglaf does not hesitate to follow Beowulf’s commands. Wiglaf, because he was more accepting of death, was able to assist Beowulf in death. Bedivere was denying the fact that Arthur would die and was, subconsciously, making an attempt to preserve his life by preserving an inanimate object. Bedivere’s flaws force him to see preservation of life as more important than life itself. Being one of King Arthur’s knights, he has repeatedly put his life at risk for his king. The constancy of danger and death in his life has caused him to cling to Arthur’s sword with a worship-like attention. Physically, the sword itself is not worthy of his worship, however, in order to see himself as a warrior Bedivere feels he must protect this object that belonged to Arthur. Bedivere’s attempts to dispose of the sword represent his failed attempts of