“There's something ugly about the flawless.”~ Dennis Lehane
Our society expects perfection. A famous person walks out of their house without makeup or perfect hair and it is slapped on most magazines. We expect people to behave perfect and have perfect appearances and perfect lives. We expect their jobs to be perfect and their friends to be loyal. I think this is an ugly thought for a few reasons. First, it doesn't exist. Life is full of complications and flaws. That's what makes it difficult as well as fun to maneuver.
I don't think I'm alone in my opinion. Most movies that showcase the "perfect" society often turn out with the character "breaking free" of a society that seems very twisted. I'm thinking specifically of the movie "Pleasantville." Everything was pleasant. Everyone behaved the way they should. Innocence ran rampant. And yet the movie seemed to indicate that something was wrong. The people were bound by their perfections and their life was somehow in black and white. The moment they discovered flaws, the people turned to color.
Often times, beauty is in the flaws. I think it is good to remember that, especially in story writing. No one wants to read about a perfect life. We want to see the flaws. More importantly, we want to see how our characters overcome them.
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