The Journey Up The Stairs Of Life

When I first encountered Thorwald Dethlefsen's concept that "Perfection can only exist in the mind, but not in reality, because reality is the shadow of the mind," I felt a sense of disappointment. The idea that neither we nor our world can ever be perfect is a bitter realization. Sometimes, life feels like a series of insurmountable barriers that I fear will break me if I try to cross them. These barriers, of course, are only in my mind. Thus, I conclude that, for now, I can't fully pursue the meaning of life I've envisioned.

There's a period in our childhood that borders on perfection, or at least resembles it. It's when we're old enough to explore the world on our own and discover it through innocent, pleasurable games. If we avoid significant disruptions during this time, we transition smoothly from fantasy to reality. But if we face restrictions from our parents or early disillusionments, we might develop a deep-seated distrust of the world or grow into pessimists who see only the negative. As children, we're naturally read fairy tales, which we easily believe. However, we eventually learn that the magical worlds they depict, as well as figures like Santa Claus and the Snowman, don't exist. This raises the question: is it beneficial to expose children to these inevitable early disappointments? Why hide the truth about the world when they'll inevitably discover it, potentially making the revelation more painful? Adolescence is the most vulnerable period, where we strive for perfection and face related disappointments. During our quest for identity, we're bombarded with images of singers, models, athletes, actors, and influencers. I have nothing against these figures, but in trying to emulate them, teenagers might lose their true selves, setting goals that don't align with their individuality. The flood of media information resembles an ocean where one's uniqueness can easily drown in favor of learned behaviors and models. Despite my love for cinema, I find actors the most inconsistent and blurred personalities. The pressure to maintain a perfect image seems overwhelming and inevitably leads to disappointment when a star falters, turning into a tragedy for both the star and their fans. Yet, few acknowledge that even they are merely human, striving to appear more than they are.

Society doesn't help much either, with its set criteria for perfection: a well-paid job, financial independence, an enviable spouse, obedient children, and so on. Thus, grown-ups chase another ideal, the path to perfection, which inevitably leads to disappointment. When someone fails to meet these expectations, they might retreat into depression, consciously or subconsciously ostracized from society's "Big Game," where what matters isn't who you are, but what you've achieved and how many boxes you've ticked. This seems like the biggest tragedy - different individuals striving for the same thing simultaneously. Life would be much better if we focused solely on meeting our own expectations rather than others'. Yet, how many of us truly live this way? I deeply admire those who push past limits, defy stereotypes, and follow their own path, often going against societal expectations. In our current world, finding true happiness requires the courage to look within and fully accept ourselves, recognizing both our strengths and weaknesses.

We all climb the ladder of life, inevitably; the question is, where does it lead? Upward?