"The best thermometer to the progress of
a nation is its treatment of its women."
— Swami Vivekananda
(A quote so sharp, it could cut through all the fake empowerment memes.)
"Educate a man and you educate an
individual. Educate a woman and you educate a family."
— Charles D. McIver
(This one's been embroidered on more NGO walls than you can count — and for
good reason.)
"I am not free while any woman is
unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own."
— Audre Lorde, poet, activist, and full-time truth dropper.
"There is no limit to what we, as women,
can accomplish."
— Michelle Obama
(Class, sass, and a touch of badass. Classic Michelle.)
Perfectly Imperfect: The Myth of the Ideal
Human
“Give her education and step aside. Let her
decide what to do with it.”
– Swami Vivekananda, centuries ahead of Twitter feminism.
Perfection. The most overrated myth after “5-Minute Abs”
and “Free Wi-Fi.”
Let’s face it, if God was aiming for perfect, He wouldn’t have given us
relatives who forward “Good Morning” messages at 4:47 am.
But here we are — in a world obsessed with the idea of
the “perfect man,” the “ideal woman,” and now, the “ultimate human being.” Who
is this mythical creature? Someone with a PhD, a six-pack, and a mental
breakdown brewing?
Let’s unpack this human madness — one anecdote at a time.
Scene 1: The Warrior Without a Cape
Meet Maya. She scrubs my floors with the elegance
of a ballerina and the strength of a weightlifter. She’s unlettered but not
unlearned. Her husband? A permanent couch potato with Olympic-level laziness.
Her son studies in Orissa, far away. And now, because there’s no one else to
raise him, Maya is quitting her job to go back.
Can I help her? Sure. I can throw in money, a few kind
words, even a ticket to Orissa. But the real question is — should I take
full responsibility for her journey?
Vivekananda said: Give her education and move away. But
what if she never got that education? What if she’s fighting societal rot
without the luxury of literacy?
Here’s the kicker: She may not hold a degree, but she
holds herself with dignity. She’s not a perfect woman. She’s a real one.
Scene 2: The Girl Who Wanted to End It All
She’s 15. Beautiful, bright, and buried under the weight
of exam pressure and parental expectations. One day, she and her mom thought of
ending their lives — together.
Sounds dramatic? No. It’s terrifyingly common.
She returned. Why? Fear. Fear saved her life. Not faith.
Not freedom. Just sheer primal fear. And sometimes, that’s enough to crack the
idea of perfection.
We expect our teens to be toppers, tech geniuses, and
Instagram influencers all rolled into one. But maybe… just maybe… all they need
is a hug, a walk, and an adult who doesn’t ask, “So, beta, what rank did you
get?”
Scene 3: The Decorated Dependent
Then comes our PhD princess. Educated to the teeth.
Pre-marriage, she was “Daddy’s darling.” Post-marriage, “Hubby’s highness.”
Decisions? Delegated. Opinions? Borrowed. Freedom? Still under construction.
What happened to empowerment? Here’s a thought — education
is a right, not a superpower. You can have every degree under the sun and
still not know how to pick your own outfit or say “No, thanks, I’ll pass.”
If your life choices are outsourced, then you’re not
educated. You’re just… accessorized with certificates.
Scene 4: Us – The Great Complainers
Now enter the fourth character — us. Comfortable.
Well-fed. With wardrobes that need their own PIN codes. Still grumbling.
Why? Because the coffee wasn’t hot enough, the saree
blouse came one inch short, or our partner breathed too loudly in the
night. We want a world that’s Insta-worthy while we behave like Wi-Fi’s gone
down during IPL finals.
We got an education. And we got complaints. Did we get
freedom though? Or just fancier cages with prettier curtains?
Education: Entitlement or Empowerment?
Let’s get this straight — education is a right.
But empowerment? That’s earned.
You can have the brightest brain in the room and still dim your own light
because of fear, habit, or cultural shackles.
We’re confusing degrees with growth.
Sitting inside a matchbox of titles, waiting to “ignite,” we forget: you need
friction to catch fire. And courage to burn.
So, What’s the Recipe for the Perfect Human?
Let’s ask the Zen monk.
“What is life?” he was asked.
“Cat’s teeth,” he said.
To the kitten — they’re love.
To the mouse — pure terror.
Perfection is perspective.
In the wild, lionesses rule the savannah with fierce
focus. Tailorbirds stitch masterpieces without a Pinterest tutorial. Elephants
follow a matriarch who remembers where to go when storms hit — no Google Maps
needed.
These creatures aren't perfect. They’re present.
Courageous. Aware. And that, my friend, is what makes them powerful.
Manhood is Beautiful. Womanhood is Valor.
Humanity is Hard.
Let’s stop chasing the perfect man or woman like they’re
unicorns on LinkedIn. Let’s instead raise real humans who show up, fall down,
wipe their tears, and keep walking. People who build resilience, not resumes.
Because the perfect human isn’t someone who never breaks
—
It’s someone who knows how to heal.
And if that sounds too deep, just remember even the
tailorbird doesn’t overthink its cage. It builds. It sings. It flies.
AUTHOR’S PAGE CHECK THIS LINK
http://www.tinyurl.com/AuthorChandraSubramanyam
