Here's to Imperfection!

What could be labeled as an unavoidable trend in communication since the field's beginning days over 100 years ago is the matter of perfection. Communicators, including scholars and professional practitioners, have stressed perfection. No no mistakes. No typos. No misspellings. No misstatements. This, I quickly note, is completely understandable. After all, imperfection in the worlds of professionalism and academia, for instance, represents a clear threat to one's credibility, professional standing and how their level of competence is viewed. In those settings, I for one have strived for perfection though I have not always been perfect in that regard.

As perfection is the focus of this blog entry, it is important that it be given the recognition it deserves. After all, the level of damage imperfection can and does cause is practically immeasurable. This can be especially true when it comes to communication. Having said, that, however, it is also worth noting that perfection, in the context of communication, can be a bit overrated. To begin, let us look at those who do the communicating: people. These are living and breathing creatures who are imperfect by design., As much as they strive to hit the bulls-eye with each action, including attempts to communicate, much of the time they fall short. In other words, their efforts are consistently less than perfect.

Thus, imperfection is the order of the day. As much as all of us may strive to be perfect in all that we do, it is important that we not turn our backs on imperfection or treat it like an uninvited guest to a party. Let us be clear: imperfection is going to make its presence known at any social or professional gathering. The only unknown is how much of a "bang" it is going to make. All this is not to say we should no longer strive for mistake-free days. Of course, we should. At the same time, when imperfection does pop up, it is not necessarily something that should automatically be shunned or scorned.