If we all need to live by one principle then wabi sabi is it.
This is a Japanese way of being that states that nothing is perfect, nothing is finished and nothing lasts.
It is a mindset that teaches us to embrace imperfections and make the most out of life. It accepting things for the way they are.
Wabi sabi is the beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.
When we think in wabi sabi terms we accept that perfection isn’t attainable but an illusion, nothing lasts forever and that’s what makes life beautiful.
Originating in Taoism during China’s Song dynasty (960-1279) before being passed onto Zen Buddhism, wabi, roughly means ‘the elegant beauty of humble simplicity’, and sabi, means ‘the passing of time and subsequent deterioration’,
So how can this be helpful in a school environment?
A considerable amount. There can be far too much focus on perfection when it comes to studying and exams. Learning is not a perfect state and although it is possible to get 100% in a test, this is not game over.
There will always be things we don’t know, things we forget and things we mix-up. Our learning is inevitably flawed as the path to understanding is littered with obstacles and distractions.
For those students who work towards perfect scores and getting triple As then the pressure can be too much. This is not real life.
Those students who try and makes mistakes along the way without spiralling into self-doubt are better learners because they understand that to get to the top of the mountain will involve some adventures on the way and it won’t all be plain sailing.