Starving Joy: A Literary Analysis on the Grueling Effects of Striving for Perfection
Striving for perfection is a universal pursuit that often promises growth and success, yet its inherent flaws frequently overshadow any perceived benefits. While some argue that perfectionism can drive progress and achievement, this idealized pursuit often leads to emotional despair, diminished self-worth, and a disregard for the joy found in imperfection. The quest for perfection is not only unattainable but also counterproductive, as it blinds individuals to the value of their experiences and the happiness derived from embracing life’s inherent flaws. Ultimately, the striving for perfection is not valuable since the detrimental inherent and associated characteristics of perfection often degrade happiness and overall satisfaction.
Firstly, continuously striving for something as unattainable as perfection may lead to a degrading mindset, resulting in a life void of joy and pride in one’s accomplishments. In Mathew Haig’s The Midnight Library, Nora Seed strives to become the most perfect version of herself and has in fact achieved exceedingly high levels of success in, for example, her musical pursuits, academic accomplishments, and her interpersonal relationships. In many onlookers’ perspective, she had a nearly perfect life, yet Nora, encapsulated in the neverending pursuit for perfection, is still discontent. For example, instead of celebrating how she was once on the verge of global recognition as a professional pianist, Nora laments how she has abandoned so many opportunities that could have catalyzed her musical career earlier, hung up on her perceived inadequacies and the belief that she would never truly measure up to her own or others’ expectations. Hyper-fixating on what she perceives as her shortcomings and measuring her worth and accomplishments against unrealistic standards leads to a pervasive sense of failure within Nora. The sense of discontent, derived from her inability to reach her subjective definition of “perfection,” elucidates how striving for perfection may blind one to the value of their experiences and the joy inherent in life—perfectionism replaces satisfaction in oneself with a constant feeling of inadequacy. If even reaching near global success is not enough to give Nora joy (one of the most elemental necessities of life) was there any true return for her endless sacrifice and tireless pursuit of perfection? Perhaps, embarking on a less perfection-obsessed mindset and on more of an effort-centered ideology (measuring her worth based on her efforts rather than her fulfillment of perfection) may have preserved her joy and love for life whilst still allowing her to reach similar heights. Therefore, striving for perfection is not a valuable method to achieve progress in a healthy and happy manner as it degrades the quality of one’s life.
Secondly, while perfectionism may lead to short term progress, its unsustainable and overwhelming nature may ultimately wreck individuals emotional and physical well-being. Some time after Nora’s near perfect successes (partly achieved by her perfection-oriented mindset), extraneous situations resulted in her life taking a sharp turn — she lost her job, broke up with her boyfriend of many years, and her beloved cat was run over by a car. The life she had sacrificed so much for had suddenly shattered due to forces completely outside her control. Yet as Nora, still holding onto the ideals of perfection, attempted to rebuild her life to a similar or greater success, she was faced with the realization that clawing her way back up from her gutturally low state was an insurmountable task. In fact, Nora was so devastated from the probability that she could never achieve a perfect life, that she took her own life. Her obsession with perfection and its horrific consequence, illustrates the detrimental effects the pursuit of perfection may engender. Perhaps nothing is more valuable than one’s life, and if pursuit of perfection is likely to rip life away from someone, it is not a path worth embarking on. Nora’s suicide and intense despair demonstrates how the relentless pursuit of perfection can corrode mental well-being, leaving individuals feeling suffocated, trapped, and utterly hopeless.. Exhausting individuals to the point of death is indicative that striving for perfection is beyond detrimental to daily life.
Finally, The Midnight Library depicts how happiness may be more closely correlated to imperfections rather than perfections, further demonstrating the pointlessness of striving for perfection. The fictional novel begins to delineate Nora’s adventures in the “Midnight Library,” where she gets the opportunity to endlessly explore all alternate “versions” (or parallel universes) of her life, many of which where she even surpass her current ideal of perfection, such becoming a famous musician, an Olympic swimmer, or a successful glaciologist. Yet, in each scenario, she discovers that even these beyond “perfect” lives are riddled with dissatisfaction, loss, or unexpected challenges, elucidating the inherent fallacy of perfection: no version of life can be free of flaws or devoid of struggle, thus making obsessing over reaching the pinnacle of perfection practically worthless. Ironically, Nora ultimately comes to the conclusion that her original life, albeit filled with broken relationships and crushed dreams at the end, was her best and happiest life in retrospect. It was simply the despairs imparted by her unrealistic desire for a perfect life that numbed her from her apparent joy, shot down her resilience, and culminated in her suicide. Thus, through Nora’s journey, Haig illustrates that striving for perfection offers little value, as its draining and overwhelming, result-oriented nature leads to emotional despair and a diminished capacity to appreciate one’s life.
Similarly, the fixed, typically inflexible nature of perfectionism ideologies may often force individuals to shun unconventional yet valuable routes towards happiness. In James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room, expatriate David longs for a perfect life—one where he marries a beautiful woman, raises children, and finds joy in the mundane; however, whilst striving for this fairly conventional ideal, he shuns his true desires, ultimately resulting in a disastrous and broken life. While his fiancé and dream woman Hella travels throughout Spain, David remains in France, struggles financially, and ultimately moves in with Giovanni, a man, despite David’s personal inhibitions, has fallen in love with — hallmarks of an imperfect and a shameful life, especially in the 1950s. Yet, in spite of these presented imperfections and seemingly disastrous state, David is elated with feelings of love and belonging. In fact, by halting his active efforts towards a perfect life with Hella, David manages to achieve beautiful, simple, and happy moments (David’s definition of a perfect life) with Giovanni evident by their long walks through Paris nights, spitting out cherry-pits by the river like teenage boys, and embracing each other after long days earnestly working for their livelihood. Paradoxically, David achieves happiness and “perfection” by embracing the imperfection of his love rather than fighting for or striving towards a more perfect one.
However, in spite of his apparent happiness and essentially his dream life, David still chooses to continue to pursue conventional perfection, shunning any alternative route towards happiness. As David strives for his perfect life, by creating emotional or physical distance from Giovanni, both individuals are left tormented, alone, and in deeper financial stress — David’s pursuit compels him to deny himself true happiness, the ultimate goal and theoretical value of perfection, which single-handedly ravages his and Giovanni’s life: In a twisted series events, Giovanni, maddened by David’s cruel behaviors, kills a man and is sentenced to death row, while David, heartbroken and guilty-stricken about Giovanni’s fate, abandons his fiancé and succumbs to intense alcoholism. David, like many individuals, was often so caught up in achieving his rigid ideal of perfection (finding happiness specifically with a woman) that he forgot why he was attempting to build a perfect life in the first place: for happiness and personal fulfillment. When those feelings can be more easily attained without relentlessly chasing perfection or when those feelings are denied due to one’s obsession over their rigid ideal of perfection that commonly develops, then it’s evident that striving for perfection is often counterproductive and harmful.
The pursuit of perfection, while occasionally yielding short-term progress, ultimately proves detrimental to happiness and well-being, sabotaging emotional well-being, corroding personal fulfillment, and preventing individuals from appreciating the imperfect moments that make life meaningful. Through the journeys of Nora in The Midnight Library and David in Giovanni’s Room, it becomes evident that perfectionism fosters dissatisfaction, numbs individuals to their achievements, and imposes rigid ideals that often contradict true happiness. Life’s imperfections are not obstacles to overcome but integral aspects of the human experience that enrich and sustain joy. By rejecting the fallacy of perfection and embracing the beauty in imperfection, individuals can foster resilience, appreciate their accomplishments, and cultivate more meaningful and fulfilling lives.
