Years ago a research assistant made a serious mistake.
When I raised the matter with her, she said with a smile that she was not perfect.
I was very impressed by that response.
I see imperfections when I read biographies of highly successful individuals.
Albert Einstein may have been the smartest person ever, but when he saw a number of Chinese individuals, he wrote in a diary that the Chinese are filthy and obtuse and that he hoped they would never supplant the other races.
Charles Darwin developed the most important theory in the history of biology: evolution.
When he looked at women over a hundred years ago, he noted that they did not achieve much in science, and he concluded in a letter that women are less intelligent than men.
Both Einstein and Darwin failed to perceive the importance of economic opportunity and cultural factors.
Their areas of expertise were elsewhere.
Isaac Newton developed calculus and identified the three laws of motion.
He also delivered one of the great scientist quotes of all time: “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
He spent much of the last part of his life trying to change lead to gold and to prove mathematically the existence of God.
These were fools’ errands, to be sure.
Steve Jobs was a genius in product development.
He helped make Apple grow to a company worth a trillion dollars.
Along the way he acted like a jerk with employees and with his love child.
It is not just geniuses who are imperfect. One of my perfectionistic friends recently went into a funk because she had bought the wrong package of Internet access and wasted $50 or so.
I have made mistakes like that. I once left my expensive tennis racquet in an airport. I then berated myself for being a careless dope. Later I decided that I had insufficient evidence to reach the global conclusion that I am a dope.
I switched my thinking to the more rational idea that I had made a mistake, that I am not perfect, that I can do better.
I have done better since then with tennis racquets, but not with jumpers, gloves, and other small items.
As Victor Hugo wrote in Les Misérables: “But who among us is perfect?”
John Malouff is an Associate Professor at the School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences, University of New England.
