Let's Try Another Tack (on Shidduchim)

Stop me if you've heard this before:

He/she is smart, funny, good-looking, loves life, warm etc etc...

I think we can all agree that it's gotten stale. Even if it were true of everyone (it isn't), we have long since reached the point that we're all basically the same in CV terms (or roughly so). If we're all the same, what's the point? Why should I bother?

This is where I would like to suggest reversing the question. In other words, instead of telling about his/her good points, I want people to tell me about her flaws and imperfections. You heard me - what makes her tick? Is she a neat freak? Does she still step over cracks in the sidewalk or "eat her peas one at a time" (Seinfeld)? Does she have a tattoo or is she scared to death of needles?

Perfect people don't exist, but more importantly, they're boring and unrelatable. I have always had disdain for the perfect/savant hagiographic stories of gedoilim who were always presented as angels on earth. My heroes are ones who had to struggle with flaws and either overcome or manage them. Human heroes are infinitely preferable to me than marble statues.

It's no big deal to "put yourself" out there when you sound just like everyone else. There's no real risk involved - but also no real possibility either. Revealing imperfections (assuming they're not life-threatening or involve real mental insanity) can only help give me and others something to latch onto, a solid toehold in a cracked mountain rather than a futile climb up a sheer, flawless cliff. Good attributes make us attractive, but flaws are what make us really interesting.

So what about me? Well, I'll show you mine if you show me yours...