A piece of popular advice on writing goes something like this: you need to find the perfect word to express whatever it is you are trying to express. And there is only one perfect word. Genius writers will be able to find this word. Lesser writers do not find the perfect word.
And by extrapolation this also holds for the perfect sentence, paragraph, chapter, etc. When you find this perfection, which is unique and cannot be exchanged for any other word, sentence, paragraph, etc., your writing will be praised by the gods and you will win the Olympic gold medal for writing.
Well, I have news for you. There is no perfect word or sentence or chapter. Any of a number of words, sentences, and paragraphs will do equally well to express whatever it is you are seeking to express.
In fact I would say there is an infinite number and combination of
words that will equally express the same thoughts, ideas, sentiments and
that are equally beautiful, transcendent and powerful.
The seeking of the perfect word is a myth similar to the seeking of the Holy Grail. It is also an insanity designed to limit your creativity and dry up your soul in the quest for something that does not exist and cannot exist. Perfection does not exist. And if it did, whose perfection would it be? Who would be the arbiter of perfection? And who would decide who the arbiter was? Would no one else be allowed an opinion? If we all have opinions and a right to them then logically there cannot be perfection.
But aside from all the logical discrepancies, it’s just a fool’s task. And it’s limiting. Instead of trying to anoint a perfect word, take joy in all the fabulous words that exist and all the great ways of expressing the same thing. Go for abundance not exclusion. Seek more not less.
Perfection is static but life is not static; it is ever changing. Perfection is death. Take joy in everything that delights you and stop needing to declare one thing, the winner, the best, the apex of creativity.
Yes, you have to decide eventually what word to use. And different people will tell you different words and declare with extreme self-confidence this one is the only perfect one. But it’s all a scam. At some point you just have to choose, and go with it, and move on. As long as it makes you joyful in the moment. Just know it is one of an infinite number of perfect words.
