imperfect
Cracks in walls create strong footholds for climbers
The imperfections you’re tempted to fix might prove to be what make the work great.
Rick Rubin • The Creative Act: A Way of Being
Some owl species have uneven ear positions, with one ear higher than the other. This asymmetry allows them to pinpoint the location of prey more precisely by detecting sound differences between their ears.
As basaltic lava cools, it contracts and forms hexagonal columns. While appearing geometrically perfect, slight irregularities in these formations help dissipate stress, preventing fractures from propagating easily.
Known as the "Pratfall Effect," research shows people who make minor blunders are often perceived as more likeable.
When people die, it's not their perfect records or squeaky-clean reputation we miss. It's the shit they didn't do well. Their mess. Their weird opinions. The stuff they got wrong and were bad at. The more hopelessly bad or gross or embarrassing, the better. “We love people most when they look stupid.”
Remember, people are often drawn to things that are done imperfectly. Whether it’s art, movies, or books, people tend to talk more about the flawed things that get stuck in their heads than they do the obvious, perfect things.
As Malcolm Gladwell says, “You want an aftertaste, and that comes from not everything being perfectly blended together.”
As Malcolm Gladwell says, “You want an aftertaste, and that comes from not everything being perfectly blended together.”
The Profile: The parenting guru offering practical solutions & the player re-defining basketball
Let’s say we create a sketch. It’s really exciting, and then we think, “OK, this is going to make a great oil painting.” And now we spend months working on the painting. Many people find it hard, after putting months into a painting, to look back and say, “You know what? That first five-minute sketch is actually better than the painting. That’s the
... See moreEric Skelton • Creativity, According to Rick Rubin
In the olden days, map makers would purposefully add mistakes into their maps so they could detect forgeries others had made