History Main / PerfectionIsImpossible

** In ''VideoGame/StarCraftIIHeartOfTheSwarm'' [[EvilutionaryBiologist Abathur]] states that perfection is impossible, but pursuing it as a goal helps improve the Swarm regardless.

* ''Film/{{Serenity}}'' showcases the horrible side effect of the Alliance trying to create utopia.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', Voldemort saw death as an imperfection. In trying to free himself from it he both brought it upon other people and destroyed his own soul, which over time made him lose what was important in living in the first place.

* The 1982 children's book ''Be A Perfect Person in Just Three Days!'' by Stephen Manes is all about a young boy following the advice in a book, "Be A Perfect Person in Just Three Days"... which forbids him from skipping ahead as he follows the instructions. By the end, he's learned important lessons about embarrassment, self-control, and that ''nobody'' is perfect... and that not being perfect isn't a bad thing.

Related to UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans. Compare PerfectionIsAddictive for examples in which perfection ''is'' achievable, but it comes at the cost of losing the ability to enjoy anything of lesser quality. Also see the PerfectSolutionFallacy, in which the insistence on a perfect outcome blinds someone to a less perfect but still attainable result, and PerfectionIsStatic, where perfection ''is'' achievable but undesirable.

Related to UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans. Compare PerfectionIsAddictive for examples in which perfection ''is'' achievable, but it comes at the cost of losing the ability to enjoy anything of lesser quality. Also see the PerfectSolutionFallacy, in which the insistence on a perfect outcome blinds someone to a less perfect but still attainable result.

--> '''Smith:''' It was a disaster. No-one would accept the program. Entire [[HumanResources crops]] were lost. Some believed that we lacked the programming language to describe your perfect world...but I believe that, as a species, human beings define their reality through misery and suffering.

* What turns out to be a somewhat major theme in ''WebAnimation/HololiveERROR''. [[spoiler:After having unknowingly died, Shino makes a wish upon the Aogami shrine to save her friends and let her keep her happy school life. This results in the creation of a so-called "perfect world" with "perfect friends", as Yuka puts it... but said world is a LotusEaterMachine that is constantly suffering through [[OminousVisualGlitch a whole bunch of errors]], and said friends are literally not allowed to ever do anything that harms Shino. It also ended up splitting Shino in two, one half being the protagonist with LaserGuidedAmnesia and the other being perfectly aware of what complete horse-shit the whole idea is, and is thus [[WellIntentionedExtremist willing to pull her out of the "perfect world" kicking and screaming if it means she'll accept the truth]].]]

** In the ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' TwoPartEpisode "Year of Hell", the antagonist is the captain of a temporal weapon who's spent centuries trying to achieve the perfect timeline. Right at the start of the episode he achieves a [[CloseEnoughTimeline 98% restoration]]. Except in that timeline, and all the others he's tried to create, his wife has been removed from existence.

* Among the many parts of the US Constitution that make it impressive is the phrase "to form a more perfect union". Not perfect, ''more'' perfect, setting an actually attainable goal.

* ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' features the Howlers, a race of super-warriors who serve Crayak, supposedly exist to kill, and who have never been defeated. It doesn't take long for the Animorphs to question whether an entire race could be pure evil ''or'' have a perfect war record. It turns out Crayak edits their shared memory to prevent concepts like "compassion" or "defeat" taking root.

* The goal of the High Evolutionary in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol3'' is to create the perfect society by genetic engineering. He has never actually succeeded and has created, then murdered entire worlds for failing to meet his impossible standards.

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': InUniverse example between Mayuri and Szayell Aporro Granz, who claims to be 'the perfect being'.

** Later, when Nemu dies, Mayuri has a hallucination of Szayell Aporro calling him a hypocrite. Mayuri hates perfection yet he considered Nemu to be his perfect creation. Mayuri comes out of his despair after that and decides to make another Nemu.

* In ''Literature/ThiefOfTime'', The Auditors create a female body for their agent. They mean to make her attractive but since they don't really understand the concept of beauty, they keep "improving" the original design, removing birthmarks and smoothing the skin and hair until she looks like porcelain doll that reeks of UncannyValley. Later it turns out that all their human bodies have another flaw - their senses are so perfect that any food that isn't completely bland kills them with sensory overload.

** In the ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' TwoPartEpisode "Year of Hell", the antagonist is the captain of a temporal weapon who's spent centuries trying to achieve the perfect timeline. Right at the start of the episode he achieves a CloseEnoughTimeline as far as his crew is concerned. Except in that timeline, and all the others he's tried to create, his wife has been removed from existence.

** In the ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' TwoPartEpisode "Year of Hell", the antagonist is the captain of a temporal weapon who's spent centuries trying to achieve the perfect timeline. Right at the start of the episode he achieves a CloseEnoughTimeline as far as his crew is concerned. Except in that timeline, and all the others he's tried to create, his wife has been removed from existance.

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Azula is an interesting example. For a time, it seems that she is absolutely perfect and unbeatable. However, the minute her friends Mai and Ty Lee turned against her, she starts to have the mother of all {{Villainous Breakdown}}s.

'''Kevin Flynn:''' The thing about perfection...is that it's unknowable. It's impossible, but it's also right in front of us, all the time. You wouldn't know that because I didn't when I created you.