“Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without one.”- Confucius
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Everybody, however desperately they try to hide it, is flawed in different ways: there are physical flaws, such as eyes that are set too far apart, or lips that are too thin, and then there are the flaws that delve deeper than someone's outwardly appearance. There are those who tend to be irresponsible, apathetic or spiteful. Flaws in humans can range far and wide, from unappreciative to envious to intolerant.
Despite the number of imperfect qualities all humans possess, we often seem to overlook the more powerful and admirable qualities we harbor. It is entirely possible for someone to be a forgiving, optimistic and enthusiastic person, while at the same time being self-centered, insincere and indecisive. It is more beneficial to be a person with a large number of positive qualities along with negative ones, than to be someone who is rather indifferent and holds no special personality traits that make them stand out. It is far better to let the world see your weaknesses, to show them that your weaknesses do not define you and that just because you have weaknesses does not make you a weak person.
The word diamond comes from the ancient Greek adámas and means unbreakable: diamonds have a high dispersion of light and they are among the most sought-after gemstones. A pebble is a small rock, one that can be easily found and just as easily forgotten.
This quote ties extensively well into the myth of Achilles; in relation to the quote by Confucius, Achilles would be the flawed diamond. Achilles was a man who was almost perfect, almost immortal. His only major flaw was the spot on his heel which had never felt the healing waters of the Styx river. However, this flaw did not diminish the fact that the rest of his body was imperishable. A pebble without a flaw holds far less value than a diamond that is flawed and so it goes with humans...
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