There are very few people in the world who are truly small or truly great—physically or spiritually. Most fall somewhere in the middle: of average height, average build, and average character.
And this applies not only to the body. In the realm we often call “spiritual,” it is just as rare to encounter either absolute villains or those crowned with a radiant halo of sainthood.
More often, we encounter a complex blend of traits—qualities we tend to label as either good or bad.
We look at this human "vinaigrette" of characteristics and try to determine which flavors dominate—virtue or vice.
Mentally, we turn the person like a plate of salad, examining them from different angles. And with each turn, our eyes catch on different facets of their personality.
Yet we usually perceive all of these traits as something whole and fluid—where one quality flows into the next, where the third arises from the second, and so on, in a kind of endless chain.
Some people seek the ideal life partner. Others search for the perfect friend, colleague, or business partner. This desire for the “ideal” is especially strong among teenagers and young adults, driven by a kind of passionate maximalism. But all too often, the search ends in disappointment. Because the ideal, as it turns out, does not exist in the real world.
And even if it does—what exactly is it? Could it be that what we reject might, in fact, be part of that very ideal?
If a dish is too sweet or too spicy, it’s no longer enjoyable.
We may not even be able to swallow it—our senses will revolt long before the food reaches our stomach.
So it is with people.
Over time, we begin to understand: the truly ideal person is not the one who embodies a single quality to perfection, but the one in whom very different qualities coexist in harmony—balanced, human, and real.
© 2003-2025 Andrew V. Kudin. All rights reserved.