[pinda.college]

Hi everyone, I have a presentation to do in front of my class soon and the topic is 'the best way to live is strive for perfection'.

At the moment I am at a dead end and would appreciate if anyone could suggest some ideas to include in my presentation (which is about 5 minutes long).

Currently I am have:

- Subjective and objective perfection (how it varies amongst people).
- The influence culture, religion, and the media have on people's perception of perfection (I'll speak about advertising, brand names etc).
- I thought I'd speak about Adam and Eve and question whether they were removed from the garden of Eden due to their imperfection.

What do you rekon, and I hope you're all enjoying your holidays

[starkrush]

So the presentation topic is clear, but you haven't actually said what's the exact criteria - do they want counterarguments or are you expecting that with questions at the end?

What you've said so far is helping to define what perfection is, rather than the actual subject title. I'd suggest a little bit on what perfection really means in practice, but most of it answering whether that is the best way to live. One point I'd make is that we don't really know our own limits (academically, physically, etc) until we push it - so if we aim for the highest possible, we can hit our limit and do the best we possibly can.

For thinking of other points (I'd rather not suggest too many points ), think of the end goal. "The best way to live" - for what end? Happiness? Success? Fulfillment? All these ideas relate to how we should live our lives so some quick googling of ethical theories (wikipedia, even) such as utilitarianism would help on that front.

Hope that helps - would be a bit better with more information about the nature of the presentation though. Good luck!

[pinda.college]

(Original post by starkrush)
So the presentation topic is clear, but you haven't actually said what's the exact criteria - do they want counterarguments or are you expecting that with questions at the end?

What you've said so far is helping to define what perfection is, rather than the actual subject title. I'd suggest a little bit on what perfection really means in practice, but most of it answering whether that is the best way to live. One point I'd make is that we don't really know our own limits (academically, physically, etc) until we push it - so if we aim for the highest possible, we can hit our limit and do the best we possibly can.

For thinking of other points (I'd rather not suggest too many points ), think of the end goal. "The best way to live" - for what end? Happiness? Success? Fulfillment? All these ideas relate to how we should live our lives so some quick googling of ethical theories (wikipedia, even) such as utilitarianism would help on that front.

Hope that helps - would be a bit better with more information about the nature of the presentation though. Good luck!

Thanks, your comment was very helpful. I wanted to define perfection and then leave the argument/supporting of the statement until the questions in the end.
I liked the idea of our limits and the end goal

[starkrush]

I think you might struggle for content if you don't introduce arguments - the idea of 'limits' is also an argument for, since it helps us be the best we can, which is presumably desirable. So you'd be left with "what is perfection" and "what is the best way to live life" (end goal), neither of which in themselves actually focusses on the presentation title.

Why don't you try thinking about some arguments? Again I don't know the nature of the presentation - your questions are unlikely to be long enough to go through all the arguments and if in your presentation you show awareness of the arguments that's surely going to get better marks?

Oh and in terms of arguments - think of the word "best", whatever "end goals" we achieve by striving perfection may be able to be achieved by a different motto. There's also the word "strive" - what does that imply?

[pinda.college]

Anymore ideas

[-Someone-Like-You-]

I'll be honest, I thought from the thread title, this was going to be something to do with Zyzz lol.

[emmaaa88]

Look up Plato and Aristotle's ideas on eudaimonia They have outlined the philosophical principle you have to discuss. I promise you it will help you loads.

[metalthrashin'mad]

(Original post by pinda.college)
Hi everyone, I have a presentation to do in front of my class soon and the topic is 'the best way to live is strive for perfection'.

At the moment I am at a dead end and would appreciate if anyone could suggest some ideas to include in my presentation (which is about 5 minutes long).

Currently I am have:

- Subjective and objective perfection (how it varies amongst people).
- The influence culture, religion, and the media have on people's perception of perfection (I'll speak about advertising, brand names etc).
- I thought I'd speak about Adam and Eve and question whether they were removed from the garden of Eden due to their imperfection.

What do you rekon, and I hope you're all enjoying your holidays

read the republic by Plato

[Laozi]

That's the worst way to live.

Read the Tao De Ching.

[Tambourini]

(Original post by Laozi)
That's the worst way to live.

I agree. There is nothing after perfection, no evolution, no improvements, no advancements, nothing. :x

[Laozi]

(Original post by Tambourini)
I agree. There is nothing after perfection, no evolution, no improvements, no advancements, nothing. :x

Wait, I don't get if you're being sarcastic...

Many people see being Unattractive as a bad thing, and so strive for 'perfection' - seen as being Attractive.

But through being Unattractive many people have concerned themselves with things more important than surface appearance and have gone on to make something Special of themselves - becoming Beautiful in the process. It’s considered bad to be ill and weak, but many have responded to such conditions by examining their lives and changing their ways of doing things thereby building up their health and strength to remarkable degrees. Unattractiveness, illness, and weakness have many valuable lessons to teach to those willing to learn from them.


You don't need to strive... just let things occur naturally, and then it all works out.

[Tambourini]

No I'm not being sarcastic, I think perfection is something that should be feared, because once something is perfect it can not improve. So what is there after that?

[Phil2202]

Constantly striving for perfection, or rather one's own perception of perfection, I believe can be incredibly harmful to an individual.

Perfection is the pinnacle of achievement, a flawless masterpiece in the eyes of the beholder. An individual can create something of near perfection, spoilt only by a single non-perfect element, and they will then be dissatisfied with the end result - a result which is clearly worthy of much praise.

The goal of perfection in most, if not all, endeavours is an impossible ambition, which will rob an individual of the satisfaction felt in success. In it's place, the inevitable demoralisation caused by endless failure will breed dissatisfaction and feelings of inadequacy.

The human brain does not work in the manner required for a goal-based system to work. By striving for perfection, an individual requires the completion a given task to a perfect standard in order to gain any positive reinforcement.

Moreover, if an individual believes they have created perfection, what is left for them to create? They must either strive to create perfection in another area in order to receive further positive reinforcement, or they must concede that their previous creation was in fact not actually perfection, and strive in vain to improve it.

A life driven by a need to achieve perfection is a tormented existence, in my opinion.

[Tambourini]

(Original post by Phil2202)
A life driven by a need to achieve perfection is a tormented existence, in my opinion.

I could not agree more, well said