Flaws get a bad reputation and unnecessarily so. What we perceive as imperfections often hold us back from believing in ourselves. When we over focus on what we think are flaws, we end up believing that we are undeserving, weak and feel bad about ourselves. You might end up spending excessive amounts of money and time trying to hide or fix your imperfections. You might let your flaws define you in negative ways, feeling like you are ugly, undeserving of love, unintelligent or not able to achieve your dreams.
Sometimes maybe you love your flaws, and maybe other days you just feel bad about yourself. All of these feelings are normal and part of what makes us human. However, it’s always good to take a step back and remember all the good things about having flaws. Appreciating and accepting your flaws will help you realize how amazing of a person you actually are and how your flaws have helped you become the person you are. Below are some ways that flaws are beautiful.
1. Your flaws allow people to relate and connect with you. Imagine if you met a perfect person, by whatever your standards of perfection are. This person never made mistakes, never said the wrong thing and always handled everything in their life perfectly. I don’t know about you, but I’d have a very difficult time relating to this person. This person simply wouldn’t be able to understand my struggles, worries and insecurities about life. That perfect person wouldn’t really be able to understand me on many levels. Your personal flaws are what helps people connect with you on a deeper level.
2. Your flaws highlight how diverse you are in this world. Perfection can be pretty boring when you think about it. If everyone was perfect, the world would look pretty dull. Nothing would stand out. I believe that humans share many similarities which is beautiful but our flaws are one of the many ways we are different from others. Your flaws are what make you stand out and in some way and your flaws help people get a better picture of who you are. I personally love hearing stories about people who have led imperfect lives or have made mistakes and have grown through these challenges and became a better person as a result. Understanding how people have dealt with their struggles, highlights their strengths and gives me a better idea of who this person is. Observing people who look different or have a unique character trait makes the world more colourful and enjoyable.
3. Our imperfections are sometimes the thing that helps us grow. You might currently be too immature for some things in life. Maybe you procrastinate too much at school or work. You might possibly have been through so much pain and heartbreak that you are insecure, have issues trusting others and so on. That’s okay. Having imperfections is what inspires you to be strong and keep growing into a better version of yourself. Without those flaws, you would likely stay in the same place and not have the drive to improve your own life. Working through emotional and character imperfections is a sign of strength. You may have imperfections in how you handle things, but some imperfections can be worked on. Recognize where you are falling short and start working on it.
4. Nobody is perfect. Whenever you chase this ideal of a perfect person, you are doomed to fail. Everyone has shortcomings. You can strive to be perfect but you will one day make a mistake or disappoint yourself. That’s completely normal and actually a good thing. There may be someone who is gorgeous looking but likely has character flaws. Even the people who seem the most giving and kind, have imperfections that you may not easily see on the surface. Accepting that nobody, including yourself, is perfect will allow you to let go of unrealistic expectations and make room for you to enjoy your life. Your relationships will also likely improve as you realize there is no perfect person out there. Your role models have flaws and so do your friends and family.
5. Your flaws are probably not perceived as flaws to other people. You might be harshly judging what you perceive as your imperfections. That birthmark that you dislike so much may be the very thing that someone thinks is just adorable. Your laugh which you may think is unattractive may be the very thing that helps other people feel joy, smile and ultimately want to join in with your laughter. Certain parts of your personality that you view as not perfect may be the thing that makes someone fall in love with you. Even though it may be difficult to believe right now, your flaws are probably the things that people actually love and appreciate about you.
6. Your imperfections help you realize that is no universal standard of perfection. You are beautiful. There are many beautiful people in the world and everyone has different personalities and physical characteristics. Viewing the world from a standard of perfection will only make you miss out on all the beautiful things and people around you.
Focusing too much on your flaws, prevents you from seeing all the ways you are beautiful. I realize that each flaw is different. Flaws can sometimes be minor and endearing. Your flaws might be the very thing that tends to attract people to you and even love you. Your imperfections may just be something you need to work through in this phase of your life. Other flaws can be destructive to your personal life, forming bad habits and hurting relationships with the people who love you. These flaws can be addressed once you acknowledge them and recognize any destructive behaviors that occur as a result. People can relate to even destructive flaws, so share this with the supportive people in your life and work on getting help through therapy, support and any other ways that will help you work through negative behaviors.
You are beautiful and your flaws are part of the reason for that beauty. Accept and appreciate those flaws because your imperfections are part of the reason you are so very special.