Based on scientific findings, stereotyping, and prejudice naturally happen in the modern human’s mind. Even if you think you are educated enough and try not to think about people based on their social attributes, when you face an implicit bias test, you may not escape from the subtle prejudice. Stereotyping and prejudice are impacts of social categorization, which we have accepted since the baby (yes, baby!) from our significant others who hold their cultural value (who doesn’t?). The conception of “we are better than them” is somehow important for our own self-esteem, and that self-esteem is important to our psychological well-being to be a well-functioned person. 

Then what hurts? As the implication of the “self-esteem baking,” we tend to see flaws from outgroups is much bigger than someone from our ingroup who has the same flaw. It is so much easier to point out someone’s mistake if s/he has different religious faith, major, ethnicity, or you name it. Plus, people also have different amounts of self-esteem needs. We can say we will see the amplification of prejudice and stereotype effect in someone who has a tremendous thirst for self-esteem. That possibly comes from anywhere, such as a ruined childhood, a broken home, a neglected child, a bullying victim, or the one who was always left behind. Perfect self-imagery is needed to fill the imperfection gap.

Now if we take a walk in Nature, we will see imperfection everywhere. From the fallen orchids, rotten wood, fungi, leaves with holes, and others. But then we learn it is a process of something. I’ve seen beautiful, perfect fungi with nothing coming close. Some mushrooms have imperfections and are eaten by insects, but that could be a signal that the mushroom is edible. I’ve seen fallen trees that then provide food for other creatures. Feces everywhere help the spreading of plants’ seeds, making a new forest. All the imperfections lead to new progress in the world's perfection.

Another case of imperfection is humans themselves. A few weeks ago, I watched a critique of our National television program and dramas. It was well said: in Indonesia’s TV shows, the main character is either purely evil or angelic. I personally think that this is what we adapted from a telenovela, which was famous back in the 90s. In real life, no one is purely evil or angelic. We human do good and wrong in our daily lives, and study has shown that both religious and non-believers do in the same quantity every single day. Recently my partner and I have been continuously watching our favorite American sci-fi crime drama. I notice that this drama’s stunning point is the conflict of main characters in deciding what is right or wrong to do, what is the best way to save humanity even when it risks ourselves – and that we all make mistakes and need to learn from them. Imperfection encourages us to learn, and that is our strength as humans. 

I once was a human with such huge perfect ambitions. I need to see all the things in my life are perfect, in the correct order, and fast. Time goes by, and I learn that imperfection is okay. Not all biologists have the traits whom I don’t prefer to work with, and it is okay – I can find other biologists with good traits. Not all feminists are sensitive; some people are wise enough to accept people’s jokes and puns. And most importantly, not all religious people are poorly educated and possess false logic; some have a really wise worldview. And if so, human possesses imperfection; it is a process of the world creating a perfection of the world itself: diversity.

Lore Lindu National Park,

January 12th, 2018