https://enlighteninglife.com/you-are-perfect/I hear people saying ‘I am not perfect’ and ‘no one is perfect’ all of the time and it is irritating because it is not true.

The word perfect has been given a context that is not aligned with its original meaning and when you understand the true meaning of ‘perfect’ you will realize that not only are you perfect now, you have always been perfect, and there is no more perfect version of you than that which exists right now.

Because I study words and their meanings and usage as a hobby, it’s called lexicology etymology, I frequently research how words are used versus their origins and what they actually mean. And because I speak multiple languages, I also pay attention to how they are derived from and used in different languages.

Let’s look at the word ‘perfect’. To research it I asked 3 questions:

Where does it come from?

First, where does the word ‘perfect’ come from? It was first used around 1250AD and is from the Latin word ‘perfectus’, which means ‘finished’ or ‘completed.’

What does ‘perfect’ mean in its original context? That something is finished or completed. In Latin, perfectus is the past participle of the verb ‘perficere’ which means to finish. So if ‘perficere’ means to finish, then perfectus means it is finished.

This brings us to the third question – how does its true meaning and original use differ from the current meaning and usage of the word ‘perfect?’

How did we get from ‘finished’ to the best that can possibly be, which is what we imply when we use the word perfect today. And this is why we say that ‘we are not perfect’ and that ’nobody is perfect’.

Created, narrated, and produced by Jennifer Hoffman.

Artwork by Jennifer Hoffman.

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