Perfection, Universal Perception?

I will be upfront and say that this particular blog post hath stemmed from a conversation from my friend Nicole, when the subject of Philosophy came up. She brought up Plato's World/Theory of Forms, which at some points speaks of perception.

Which brought us to this....

Me: I often wonder if our obsession with perfection is due to the fact that we think it may not exist and that scares us.

Nicole: Yeah, that makes sense. When you really think about it there is no reason we should strive for it because its not possible. But maybe because we know that, we try anyways.

Me: And sometimes people realize it may not be attainable, and it ruins them.

Which brings us here to this blog....Let us continue....

Perfection means something different to everyone. But does it actually exist just because we have a perception of the basic idea?

Also, does the idea of perfection exist because we, as imperfect beings, NEED it to exist? As if it needs to be there as the ultimate goal?

People often need something to strive for. Goals, dreams, etc are all different ideas of what we need to accomplish to feel success, or in some way, perfection. But outside of this need to succeed, or feel successful, does perfection exist?

If there were no humans around, would the idea of perfection exist? And is there one ultimate facet of perfection that all people can agree on?

For instance...

Ask two completely different people what their idea of a "perfect moment" would be, and most likely you will get two different answers, mostly due to the people's perception of what "perfect" is. Could it be that perfection could be a selfish notion? As in, when you create something, and its perfect to you, but it isn't to those you share it with, you don't care, because you made it perfect for yourself and not others?

One thing that lends itself to the idea that there might be a universal idea, is that there are groups of people who actually share interests and common ground and often times within that common ground (music, art, cars, food, the list could go on forever) there is a shared view within that community of what is perfection relative to the base common interest.

So does that mean that there COULD be a common perception of an ultimate perfection for all?

Perhaps. But the idea of perfection could almost certainly be compared directly to the idea of religion and one God or deity ruling over us all, and being responsible for our existence.

There are large groups that agree on different ideas of the different religions, but aren't they all just different facets of the same basic idea but with different names and names for the deities?

Indeed they are.

So perhaps there is one base idea of perfection that we all might not realize but all our individual ideas of perfection at any given time are just different facets of.

Or perhaps every individual's idea of perfection could be too different from the next to be connected to a base idea?

And if either of those cases are true, what IS the base idea of perfection?

The dictionary tells us the definition is...

per·fec·tion

 

–noun

1.

the state or quality of being or becoming perfect.

2.

the highest degree of proficiency, skill, or excellence, as insome art.

3.

a perfect embodiment or example of something.

4.

a quality, trait, or feature of the highest degree ofexcellence.

5.

the highest or most nearly perfect degree of a quality ortrait.

6.

the act or fact of perfecting.

But it doesn't tell us what the basic idea of it is. Even that basic idea could be so different from person to person that it eliminates the possibility of there being one ultimate perfection.

Or does it leave it open to the chance that we just don't realize that we could all have the same subconscious base idea of it?

Besides all this, what would it take for us all to realize this subconscious idea?

Is part of being human to strive for perfection in some situations?

Perhaps.

Do we as humans perceive perfection as a necessity? If we didn't have perfection to strive for, would we still try as hard? Most likely. The competitive nature in us (some of us anyway) keeps us trying our best, as humans DESPISE failure. Success doesn't always equate to perfection for some, so I think the lack of the idea of perfection wouldn't take anything away from the feeling of succeeding.

I believe that the notion of perfection is deeply rooted in our subconscious, but it is "coded" (for lack of a better term) differently in all of us, but the basic idea or feeling remains the same in all of us whether we realize/admit it or not.

Us humans, we're interesting folk sometimes no?

Going Down With The Ship PART 1

So yeah, between the insanely high gas prices and the fact I owe the IRS a bit of money, I am not pleased with the government.

And no I don't mean that in a crazy type of way. So relax.

I think its time for real change, as in, a bunch of normal everyday motherfuckers running the ship.

Like who? Well....why not me? Well other than the fact I'm not rich and I don't like to wear a suit.....

Before we go any further, keep in mind my knowledge of politics is a joke, as I try not to get wrapped up in this shit, and these related posts are PURELY FOR FUN.

Alright. Let's go!!!!

The year is 2012. Elections are over. I have won the position of President of United States of America. What do I do now?

The following....

I hold a press conference right off the bat. I take no questions. I have no speech written, no PR people to speak for me, and no teleprompter.

I walk up to the mic dressed in normal clothes, mohawk freshly cut, and I say something along the lines of.....

"Alright folks, first off I want to say thank you to the people who voted for me. For those who didn't, its cool. I understand that not everyone is going to agree with what I'm all about, so to speak.

Moving on.

America, let's be realistic, and not bullshit ourselves. The past few years, regardless of the president at the time, has been hard. I am not going to stand up here and try to get you to buy into some crap about how I'm going to make things better, and how I have an extensive plan on how to fix everything, because I don't. Life in these times is too unpredictable to try and plan every little detail for, but you have my word, that I will do my damned to fix what I can. Some of it will be little things you may not notice right away, and hopefully some of it will be big differences in everyone's life for the better.

I am not perfect, we are not perfect. I will not stand up here and try to be either. I have a funny haircut, I swear alot, and I don't dress the best, but I fail to see how that will effect my job. So deal with it. Appearance isn't everything, and with this position, getting the job done is. So I think I'll concentrate on that if you don't mind.

Moving on to Congress, I will say this. Cut the shit. This bickering proves how feeble minded and ignorant you all can be, regardless of party, so stop embarrassing yourselves. Arguing over the stupidest shit and minor details that no one really cares about but your pockets is counter-productive, and its gotten old. And I will deal with it. Mark my words. This is not a threat mind you, but a promise, and one that will be acted upon frequently. I'm not saying you aren't allowed to disagree with myself or one another, but c'mon guys and gals, let's face it, you spend too much time quarreling and not enough time doing your fucking job.

In closing, I will be selecting and announcing my new Cabinet, and yes they will be friends of mine. Before you cry about that, think about it, if you were in my position, you'd do the same damned thing. So hush. Besides, I wouldn't appoint them if I didn't think they could do the job, because that would be a huge disservice to you, the people, my employer.

I look forward to working for you, the American people, for the next 4 years, and hey just for the hell of it who knows? Maybe I'll actually make a difference.

Good night America, and rock on!"

I will the throw up the deuces and walk off stage, to go party my ass off before I have to sit down and finally pick out my cabinet and start tackling all the important issues.

My speech will piss off all sorts of people, but at the same time, make them aware that I pull no punches and I do not fuck around.

Part 2 of this will come soon.

Even Through Your Doubts, We Will Still Be Here.

Another week, another clusterfuck of bad luck to work my way through.

Let us go through this, and put it the fuck to bed.

Monday through Wednesday sucked/was stressful for the sheer fact that work was lame as fuck and dead as Rosie O'donnell's career.

Then wednesday morning on my way to work, smoke starts billowing out of the side of the hood of the WRX like I was flying a WWII fighter that had just been shot, so I cautiously make my way to work and what do I find upon opening the hood?

The fucking impossible/unthinkable had happened.

The upper coolant port on the radiator (where the upper radiator hose connects to the radiator for the laymen/non mechanics/non gearheads) had snapped off. No, not cracked, IT FUCKING SNAPPED OFF.

Ok no big deal right? I work at a subie dealer for fuck's sake, I'll just march over to parts and get one.....FUCK ME, was I wrong! The nearest one was 3 days out.

Put a pin in this (as my buddy Phlip would say) and we will revisit this.

So ok, I have 3 options at this point:

1. Go to Fall River, get the Bug, and drive it and subject it to alll the glorious roadsalt.

2. Call the friend I gave the Zombie Corolla to, and beg him to let me drive it on his tags till the WRX was set.

3. Beg to use a loaner car till the radiator came in.

Well I'll sooner lose a testicle before I expose my beloved 39 year old Bug to the road salt, so I went with option 2, and sure as shit he was cool with it so I went and picked up the Zombie Corolla.

And that should've been that. Right? WRONG. Rule #5 of being me: expect shit to get worse, because it can, AND IT WILL.

So needless to say, the ZC (zombie corolla) was in rough shape. But I quickly went to tending to its cheaper wounds as best I could, and was soon driving it.

That was Wednesday into Thursday.

Then Friday happened.

I got my paycheck, or should I say, punchline in an envelope. It was bad enough where I finally said something to my manager, and the review I was promised finally was going to occur that day.

Then my radiator showed up. (put a big fucking pin in this one, because there's more for this one)

So things started to look up....and then around 4 o'clock, the ocean took back my sand castle so to speak.

The idiot writer at the counter told a 2 hour job to come in and said itd be done in an hour. Given the nature of the job, which I will not get into her, it is fucking impossible to do it it under at least an hour and 45 minutes. The job was catalytic converters.

So that fucks me out of two things: putting the Radiator in the wrx and my review meeting.

So I start the job, then I go to transfer two of the sensors to the new exhaust and what happens? Yep, the threads strip right off the sensors, and we don't have the replacement ones in stock. So I went through all that bullshit for NOTHING.

Fine whatever, we agree to send someone in the morning to go to another dealer that has the sensors, and I'll have to come in and work on the WRX anyway, so I'll just finish it then.

So around 430pm I go have my review talk. It went well, and that's all I'll say on that.

5:15pm: I walked my tired, stressed shell of a body out to my ZC and start making my way to a friend's house for what we call Game Night.

Then the fucking unthinkable happens.

I hit the Grand Canyon of frost heaves, and the exhaust breaks off at the flex pipe. So here I am with the loudest car in all of the Northeast at this point.

I make it so said friend's house, throw my hands up (no not like Taio Cruz) call the dealer and go with option 3, taking a loaner.

The rest of Friday was pretty good, as the food served was fucking amazing (big up to Jamie for that), played an awesome board game called Pandemic, and I watched the Miami Heat get fucking SMOKED by 30 points by the Spurs.

So that should be it right? I'm typing this on sunday, so that means everything got fixed right? WRONG.

So I go in Saturday to install the new radiator in the WRX. Pull those pins out, as this is where shit gets even better.

There is an extremely necessary part that is needed to install the redesigned radiator into my car. And of course, it did not get ordered. F. M. L.

So I have to wait till at least Tuesday now.

And because for some reason the cat job didn't want to go smoothly, I didn't have time to fully figure out what I need exhaust-wise for the ZC either. Hence why there is a Sage Green Metallic 2010 Forester sitting in my parking spot outside, waiting with bated breath to take my ass to work tomorrow.

So needless to say, this week sucked. There were a million other things that happened that DID NOT HELP, but for the sake of not boring the two people that read this, I won't get into it.

This past week, if anything was a test. Not that I needed another fucking test of my resolve, but whatever. Its times when shit goes completely pear shaped that you find out how able you are to pull through, and how strong of a person you truly can be. Sometimes, if you can remember that, you can pull through. Deity only knows I had to keep telling myself that.

I swear I have so much bad luck, I must be a walking black cat or broken mirror.