The artist Leonardo da
Vinci, perhaps best
known for painting the
Mona Lisa, produced
a drawing called the
Vitruvian Man. In it, da Vinci
depicted his idea of the perfectly
sized and proportioned male
body. But is this really what a
perfect body looks like? And
if it’s perfect, does that make
every other type of body flawed?
Or maybe those are the wrong
questions and the idea of a
“perfect” body is actually
what’s flawed. is as long as what you would expect
to see in a man who is 6 feet 8 inches
tall. His legs are the length typical of
a man who is 5 feet 10 inches. Phelps
has long arms too. Like the Vitruvian
Man, most people have a wingspan
roughly the same as their height.
Phelps’ wingspan is 6 feet 7 inches,
three inches longer than his height.
His ankles are (reportedly) double
jointed, and thus extremely flexible.
And his feet are big—he wears size 14
shoes. So Phelps’ legs act like flippers
when he swims.
No one could argue that Phelps
has a perfect body in da Vinci’s
sense. But is it correct to say
it is imperfect? What does
“perfection” mean when we are
talking about human biology?
Does it even exist?
the animal kingdom. Imagine a
population of brown rabbits and
white rabbits in a snowy field. Under
these conditions, predators are less
likely to see and catch the white
rabbits. In a summertime field—all
brown soil and green and golden
plants—white rabbits are more
visible and easier to catch. Neither
white nor brown fur is perfect for
rabbit survival. Rabbits need different
Consider Michael Phelps. The
winningest swimmer of all time,
Phelps earned 28 Olympic medals. His
body does not look like the Vitruvian
Man. In fact, Phelps’ body is quite
unusual. The best swimmers tend
to have long torsos and short legs.
Phelps is 6 feet 4 inches, but his torso
What Is Physical
Perfection?
the animal kingdom. Imagine a
population of brown rabbits and
white rabbits in a snowy field. Under
these conditions, predators are less
likely to see and catch the white
rabbits. In a summertime field—all
brown soil and green and golden
plants—white rabbits are more
visible and easier to catch. Neither
white nor brown fur is perfect for
rabbit survival. Rabbits need different
Maybe perfection has more
to do with how a body works
than how it looks. How we
function actually depends
upon how well we fit into our
environment.
bodies for different seasons. And
in fact, in some types of rabbits, fur
color changes with the seasons. Like
rabbits, all organisms, including
people, adapt to their environments.
The process of evolution selects for
the survival of organisms that thrive
in their specific environments. But
evolution isn’t engineering. Often,
imperfections that don’t affect
survival too badly get passed on
through the generations. prevent people from
reproducing, though.
Amazingly, most of
us function extremely
well despite these
flaws. Some of us
function spectacularly Variation as
an Element
of Success
Michael Phelps’
body is not perfectly
symmetrical or
balanced. His physical
variations, however,
may have given him
the raw materials to
be a close-to-perfect
swimmer. Phelps’ case is not unique;
elite athletes highlight dramatic
variability that provides them the
physical characteristics to approach
perfection in action. Usain Bolt, an
Olympic sprinter, has an abundance
of fast-twitch muscle fibers that make
him speedy and legs so long that it
takes him four to five fewer steps to
complete a 100-meter race than his
competitors.
Simone Biles, another Olympic gold
medalist, is both strong and small.
The combination is ideal for her sport
of gymnastics. She may also have a
better-than-average ability to sense
where her body is in space, perhaps
making jumps, spins, and somersaults
a tad easier than for an average person.
No athlete is born with the skills
to win gold medals, though. Those
achievements require years of effort. our survival. Human variation has
allowed us to live in wildly different
environments—the tropics, deserts,
and the Arctic—and to develop
many different physical, intellectual,
and emotional talents. Not only is
there no ideal human body, but our
species also thrives because we are
different from one another, each of us
particularly suited for our own way
of living.
How might Michael Phelps,
Usain Bolt, and Simone Biles define
perfection? Perhaps they might say
that perfection, or close to it, occurs
in peak athletic performance. Their
physical traits certainly helped them
excel at their sports. However, it was
hard work, dedication, and training
that allowed them to soar.
How do you define perfection?
Maybe something about you
seems different. Can you combine
your unique physical, mental, and
emotional skills and your attitude in
a way that works toward your version Donna Bozzone is a 5-foot-2 biology
professor and author of books about science.
Thanks to her height, she can fit comfortably
in small places such as the seats in an
airplane and rarely hits her head on
low-hanging things. Because she is lefthanded, she would have advantages boxing,
baseball, cricket, and tennis compared to
right-handed people, if she played any of
these sports.
In unit 7, lessons 2-4 you learned about analyzing informational texts. For this portfolio, you will write an analysis of “Perfectly Imperfect” by Donna Bozzone. You should focus on text structure, author's purpose and point of view and also how the author distinguished her position
The text "Perfectly Imperfect" by Donna Bozzone explores the concept of physical perfection and challenges the idea of a singular standard of beauty or excellence. Bozzone begins by discussing Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man, a drawing that is often seen as a representation of the ideal male body. However, she questions whether this perception of perfection is accurate and whether labeling other body types as flawed is fair.
Through the use of comparisons and examples, the author argues that the idea of perfection may be subjective and dependent on one's environment and purpose. She references Michael Phelps, a successful swimmer who does not fit the conventional idea of a perfectly proportioned body, yet his unique physical traits have contributed to his success in swimming. Bozzone also mentions animals like rabbits, whose fur color varies according to their environment, demonstrating the concept of adaptation and the imperfections that still allow them to survive.
The author highlights that perhaps the notion of physical perfection should focus more on functionality rather than appearance. She suggests that how well a body fits into its environment and performs tasks may be a better indicator of perfection. Bozzone asserts that our individual variations have allowed us to thrive in diverse environments and contribute different skills and talents to society.
In terms of text structure, "Perfectly Imperfect" follows a logical progression, beginning with the questioning of da Vinci's depiction of perfection and then providing examples and comparisons to support the argument. The text is divided into paragraphs that focus on different examples, allowing for clarity and organization.
The author's purpose in writing this piece is to challenge the traditional notion of physical perfection and encourage readers to broaden their understanding of beauty and excellence. Bozzone seeks to promote the acceptance and celebration of variation in physical attributes, as well as the recognition of the importance of functionality in defining perfection.
The author's point of view is evident throughout the text and is framed by her own personal experiences and expertise as a biology professor. Bozzone shares her height and left-handedness as examples of unique physical attributes that have advantages in certain contexts. This adds credibility to her argument and reinforces the idea that differences should be embraced rather than labeled as imperfect.
Overall, Donna Bozzone effectively analyzes the concept of physical perfection in "Perfectly Imperfect" by challenging traditional standards and emphasizing the importance of functionality and adaptation. Her use of comparisons, personal examples, and logical progression strengthens her argument and encourages readers to redefine their understanding of perfection.