The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection, that one is sometimes willing to commit sins for the sake of loyalty, that one does not push asceticism to the point where it makes friendly intercourse impossible, and that one is prepared in the end to be defeated and broken up by life, which is the inevitable price of fastening one's love upon other human individuals.

To be what you want to be: isn't this the essence of being human?

The ability to do, to make, to generate and contribute is the essence of a human being.

Don't try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.

Humanity will ever seek but never attain perfection. Let us at least survive and go on trying.

This is what it is to be human: To see the essential existential futility of all action, all striving - and to act, to strive. This is what it is to be human: to reach forever beyond your grasp. This is what it is to be human: to live forever or die trying. This is what it is to be human: to perpetually ask the unanswerable questions, in the hope that the asking of them will somehow hasten the day when they will be answered. This is what it is to be human: to strive in the face of the certainty of failure. This is what it is to be human: to persist.

This is what it is to be human: to see the essential existential futility of all action, all striving — and to act, to strive. This is what it is to be human: to reach forever beyond your grasp. This is what it is to be human: to live forever or die trying. This is what it is to be human: to perpetually ask the unanswerable questions, in the hope that the asking of them will somehow hasten the day when they will be answered. This is what it is to be human: to strive in the face of the certainty of failure. This is what it is to be human: to persist.

Human existence basically is──a never to be completed imperfect tense.

Human nature is imperfect.

It is human to feel imperfect. That was what you wanted, above all else: to be human. And now that is what you are. The imperfections - the weaknesses - the imprecisions - they are the very things which define humans as human. And which drive them to transcend their own failings.

If a concept lacks an essence, nothing will ever be found that completely fits that concept. If you are lacking in the concept of human being, it will immediately expose that you are something individual, something that cannot be expressed by the term human being, thus, in every instance, an individual human being.

That humans are just humans. No matter what color or shape they are, they're human.

The essence of life is that it’s challenging.

Forget about perfection; it doesn’t exist.