When Quindlen brings up how perfection to her was like a “backpack filled with bricks on [her] back”, the listener can visualize how this need metaphorically weighed her down for years. After looking back on her struggle, Quindlen cautions her audience about how if they meet everyone’s expectations that one day when “fall into the center of [themselves]” they will find a “black hole where [their] core ought to be”. This powerful language allows the audience to mentally see how damaging following other people’s expectations of you can
In the human mind, everything has to be perfect, simple, and easy. Across the world, at every moment in every day, people strive for perfection. A perfect day, a perfect family, a perfect life. However, perfection is not that simple and frankly, is almost impossible to come across. Take the Jarret family, for example, in Judith Guest’s Ordinary People.
This myopic assessment of my game plan caused me to freeze with anxiety as my situation changed. I betrayed the very core of man’s survival nature that had carried him through the overwhelming trials of existence to that day and that time-adaptability. And as my
These procedures allow people to gain the perfection they are looking for like the characters in this story. At the end of the day no matter how many times you change yourself on the outside it matters what you keep on the inside. Therefore, even though the short story “The Birthmark” was written almost two centuries ago many of its themes can be seen in today's
Perfection. We all want it, even though we know we will never reach it. For many, reaching perfection is their ultimate goal in life, though it is virtually impossible to do while living, because the very idea of perfection is constantly changing in the eyes of society. “The Birthmark” shows us that it is foolish to strive for perfection.
The notion that a young woman must be either engaged or pursuing an engagement was a common standard for women in the 19th century. Women looking for an engagement, must uphold high standards with strong morals as well as being wholly pure of both body and mind. Jane Austen depicts the main characters of her novels as being strong individuals in the midst of these societal standards. These significant morals in Northanger Abbey, influence the characters, such as Catherine and Isabella, in how they make their decisions. Additionally, the main character Catherine Morland, a young lady, learns the ways of presenting herself in the best light possible.
When the day came, disaster struck. I was so focused on trying to recite my poem in a way where everyone would feel the sense of hope, love and respect, that in the end made me forget several lines of the poem, leaving puzzled looks in both my classmates and teacher. In this particular circumstance, I failed to communicate with my classmates and teachers the way I intended to. I was so focused on wanting my poem to touch every person in the room that it hindered my ability to deliver it as I wanted to. This example shows the struggle with the issue of my own perfection, something that is apparent in the INFP personality type.
But my behavior really was not normal. It was not until later, after years of confusion and crying and an inability to get out of bed and self-harming and suicide attempts and subsequent therapy visits, that I finally saw a psychiatrist and was given an explanation on why I felt like this: depression. Going through puberty and developing depression around the same time severely influenced the development of my identity as I aged, and contributed to behavioral patterns that were harmful to myself. However, because I was still performing better than average in other areas of my life, including academically,
Goal Number One I didn’t know it yet, but the way I viewed the game of lacrosse was about to change drastically. It was a normal day for me. I was in eighth grade, and I was getting ready for school.
Although many know that perfection is not realistically achievable, perfection is thrusted upon people from parental and educational expectations. Pressure for perfection is derived from parental expectations. Parents pride themselves on having “perfect” children and they pit themselves against other parents when it comes to who has the better child. This competition causes parents to put unachievable goals upon their child in order to “win” the race between other parents.
All throughout school I strived to be a great student, always trying my best and never giving up. I didn’t really have any life changing moments that shaped me into who I am today that is, until freshman year. That year everything changed for me I was faced with challenges I never had to face before. My brother and I are three in a half years apart and he went to Horizon High School for his freshman and sophomore year. He was a troublemaker to say the least didn’t have the best reputation so all the teachers there thought that I was just like him.
Individuality is a trait that everyone believes they possess, but more specifically is a trait that I have fully embodied. Throughout my entire life, I have always been drawn to everything that was deemed as different or even unlikable to others. At the age of only 11, I began to dye my hair a spectrum of colors, wore ridiculous suspenders and horrendous socks. Admittedly, it was a bit wild and semi-embarrassing looking back at yearbook pictures, but in those moments, I was having the time of my life being able to entirely express myself and even helping friends along the way to truly be comfortable with themselves just as I was. While there is a multitude of traits that distinguish me from the rest, individualism is the root of not only being
It seemed as though my life was being dictated by others, more than before. The phrase “beauty lies in perfection” was always stored in my head and in order to “fit in”, I must act in a certain manner. At the age of 14, I was now in middle school. I had always been a shy person, which this transition harder for me to adjust too. I didn't want to hold a full conversation with anyone in my class unless they were the one to approach me.
At this time of year, I begin to look back at my life after 12 hard years of schooling. Throughout the course of my life, there have been many ups and downs, but these up and downs is what made me who I am today. These influences have shaped my values, attitudes and beliefs towards life. There have been many important people and events that has impacted my life. One of which is family and the media.
A sense of accomplishment is invaluable to a person. Not only does a sense of accomplishment build confidence and faith in oneself, but it also allows one to reflect on how wonderful the journey to the accomplishment was, and how every little struggle and triumph was worth it. In the middle of summer, where time seems endless and the stress of the previous school year has been shed by students, I never expected to find out that I scored a five on both of the advanced placement exams I took. Nor did I have one-hundred percent confidence the goals we set as section leaders of the marching band would actually be met. Yet to my surprise, I had the good fortune of accomplishing challenging things in both aspects of my life.
