It comes from within us, from our nature, which is a desire to enjoy.
There are six kinds of criteria to what we wish to enjoy. Three concern the body, which are food, sex and family, and three concern our social desires for money, control and knowledge. We can thus view ourselves according to these six criteria. If we desire food, sex and family, then we are like animals, on the animate level. Everybody has these desires and wants them fulfilled as optimally as possible.
There are people who also have bigger desires, for money, control and knowledge, which are influenced by culture, education, technology, and each person’s inner psychological development. These inclinations include everything in our lives.
Our need for perfection is expressed as wanting to have whatever we want at the same very moment. For instance, if we have an inclination for food, sex and family, then that is what we want, and along with food, sex and family, we might also want to control, to become somebody important in society. We want our deficiencies to be whole and complete.
Ultimately, however, the need for perfection comes from the upper force. We ourselves emerge from the uppermost force in nature, which is perfect and whole. Therefore, our every desire for pleasure and fulfillment is in fact a desire for that state of perfection.
Based on the video “Where Does the Desire for Perfection Come From?” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Oren Levi. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman. Photo by Afif Kusuma on Unsplash.
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