Celebrate Imperfection

Thomas Edison's most famous quote isn't a gloat.

When he could have exploded with joy, and told the world what a genius he was, he didn't. Instead, he talked about failure.

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

Interestingly, the common belief is the quote is about stubborn determination.

Edison is saying that even though he has tried many different things and none of them worked, he had not given up and was still searching for a solution.

We can also see this quote as a statement about the importance of accepting imperfection.

In a world where perfection is often seen as the ultimate goal, it can be easy to become discouraged when we fail to achieve it. But Edison's quote reminds us that failure is not the end, but rather a stepping stone on the path to success. By accepting that not everything we do will work out perfectly, we can learn from our mistakes and continue to move forward.

In this way, accepting imperfection can actually help us to create a more perfect world.

That should be the focus of your decision. It is to not fear imperfection but to embrace it. Encourage it. In fact, we should celebrate imperfections. Seek them, and learn from them. Push for perfection, yes, but know and push for the imperfection of failure as Thomas Edison did.

His acceptance of failure is proof that imperfection makes for a perfect world.

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