Essay Excerpt & Reflection

“The Catalog of Correctable Omnipresent Human Flaws”- Edward Smith

All human bodies have numerous flaws which can be eliminated by genetically modifying the zygote. Those flaws exist because their elimination was and is not necessary for the survival of the human species. However, their elimination would greatly increase the efficiency of our actions, and thus both our physical prosperity and our quality of life.

A distinction must be made between corrections and enhancements. Corrections are removals of negatives whereas enhancements are additions of positives. The line between a correction and an enhancement is not entirely defined, but most modifications clearly fall on one side or the other.

A correction constitutes the replacement of an important trait that had evolved away due to lack of necessity, or, more often, the correction of a trait that had evolved wrongly due to
evolutionary expedience, except when the correction of such a trait satisfies the criteria for being an enhancement. An enhancement constitutes any augmentation of ones abilities that are characterized as being competitive, other than the removal of specific weaknesses, or any elaborate or unnatural addition.

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Failure is a broad term, that can hold varying definitions depending on who you speak to, but as far as the dictionary is concerned, failure means a “lack of success.” Many people strongly associate failure and imperfection with one another, although the dictionary's definition of imperfection is simply, “flaw.” Failure is similar to flaw in that both demonstrate a lack of perfection, although neither need be classified as terrible things. Some flaws can be changed, improved, or abolished all together, by hard work or dedication, although many flaws are normal and there is no need for them to be eliminated. Many flaws we possess as humans are ones that we're not able to get rid of, and we must learn to live with them.

Some experts are taking the idea of 'removing' flaws to the next level: they believe that flaws that are not vital to the well being of humans may be eliminated. They do not speak of character flaws, exactly, although this innovation may also be seen in our near future; they wish to remove physical flaws from the human body. While many people may differentiate between physical flaws and character flaws, I believe that essentially they both mean the same thing: areas of our being that are faulty.

In proposing the withdrawal of human flaws, a general message is being sent, one that is enticing but also damaging. It is a message of advancing the human body into an idealistic state, a state that is not natural and was not designed for us. The idea of removing physical flaws also supports the idea that it is possible for humans to subtract flaws until we are entirely flawless, something that is neither healthy nor possible.

We all need a balance of positive and negative traits. It is what makes us human; Achilles had the weak spot on his heel, but the rest of his body was imperishable, and so he was neither totally flawed, nor totally perfect. If the removal of physical flaws is being openly discussed, I think it is only a matter of time before the removal of personal flaws arises, a topic that will be surely destructive for many...