---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Humans are beautifully imperfect and…"
description: "\"“Humans are beautifully imperfect and complex. We’re horny, ass-saving, ego-driven drug fiends, among other, more noble things.”\" — Cheryl Strayed"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c77/cheryl-strayed-605_imperfect_humans-are-beautifully-imperfect-and-com_432844.png"
---

#  Humans are beautifully imperfect and complex. We’re horny…

![“Humans are beautifully imperfect and complex. We’re horny, ass-saving, ego-driven drug fiends, among other, more noble things.” quote by Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c77/cheryl-strayed-605_imperfect_humans-are-beautifully-imperfect-and-com_432844.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c77/cheryl-strayed-605_imperfect_humans-are-beautifully-imperfect-and-com_432844.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c77/cheryl-strayed-605_imperfect_humans-are-beautifully-imperfect-and-com_432844.png)

> ““Humans are beautifully imperfect and complex. We’re horny, ass-saving, ego-driven drug fiends, among other, more noble things.””

[Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Humans embody contradictions, mixing base desires with higher virtues, reflecting the complexity of human nature.

**In simple terms:** People are both flawed and noble.

Key Takeaway

Embrace both sides of yourself.

Themes

human nature contradiction complexity self‑acceptance

Mood

reflective honest empathetic

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- personal growth
- relationships
- creative work
- mental health
- spiritual practice

Key Concepts

psychology philosophy ethics

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance acknowledging flaws with celebrating strengths?
- What noble aspects can you cultivate despite base impulses?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on flaws can lead to self‑defeat.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/)

## Related quotes

> [Drugs are bad for you, they jus make you feel good sometimes. I hate when people try to defend a drug...That's what fiends do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/drugs-are-bad-for-you-they-jus-make-you-feel-good-sometimes-i-hate/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Drop the veneer periodically and be like "OK, I'm an imperfect human. Let's try to get through this."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-miller/drop-the-veneer-periodically-and-be-like-ok-i-m-an-imperfect-human/)

[Dennis Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-miller/)

> [You have been taught that there is something wrong with you and that you are imperfect, but there isn't and you're not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheri-huber/you-have-been-taught-that-there-is-something-wrong-with-you-and-that/)

[Cheri Huber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheri-huber/)

> [The day we find the perfect church, it becomes imperfect the moment we join it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-day-we-find-the-perfect-church-it-becomes-imperfect-the-moment-we/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [He felt safe with her. He'd never been safe with another human being, not since he'd been taken as a child from his home.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-feehan/he-felt-safe-with-her-he-d-never-been-safe-with-another-human-being/)

[Christine Feehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-feehan/)

> [Trusting people to be creative and constructive when given more freedom does not imply an overly optimistic belief in the perfectibility of human nature.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/trusting-people-to-be-creative-and-constructive-when-given-more/)

[Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/)

> [I wish I was the girl with the perfect hair and flawless face..but wait... that's pretty much like a barbie... plastic and fake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goon-mariaa/i-wish-i-was-the-girl-with-the-perfect-hair-and-flawless-face-but/)

Goon\_Mariaa

> [“When God broke his deal with me, I turned to the Devil. In the end, I wasn't happy. I realized that the imagination of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-suggs/when-god-broke-his-deal-with-me-i-turned-to-the-devil-in-the-end-i/)

[Lionel Suggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-suggs/)

> [In the light of absolute values (religious or ethical) man himself is judged to be limited or imperfect, while he can occasionally accomplish acts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-e-hulme/in-the-light-of-absolute-values-religious-or-ethical-man-himself-is/)

[T. E. Hulme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-e-hulme/)

> [the most terribly human moments - the ones we want to pretend never happened - are the very moments that make us who we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-lawson/the-most-terribly-human-moments-the-ones-we-want-to-pretend-never/)

[Jenny Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-lawson/)

> [Look, don't judge Christianity by the imperfect examples that we have seen in history. Judge it by Jesus Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-smith/look-don-t-judge-christianity-by-the-imperfect-examples-that-we-have/)

[Chuck Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-smith/)

> [I'm an imperfect messenger, but the message is perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/i-m-an-imperfect-messenger-but-the-message-is-perfect/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [The process of putting intangible thoughts into an imperfect system of notation - which is difficult enough, depending on your ideas - acquaints you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andre-hamelin/the-process-of-putting-intangible-thoughts-into-an-imperfect-system/)

[Marc-Andre Hamelin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andre-hamelin/)

> [Laugh at every mistakes and realize that no one is perfect. We are human. All of us are imperfect, so there's no point judging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/laugh-at-every-mistakes-and-realize-that-no-one-is-perfect-we-are/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [You know why you're not perfect? You do everything perfectly and you think you are perfect, but the mere fact that you think about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-know-why-you-re-not-perfect-you-do-everything-perfectly-and-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Cheryl Strayed

> [“She understands that attention is the first and final act of love, and that the ultimate dwindling resource in the human arrangement isn’t cheap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/she-understands-that-attention-is-the-first-and-final-act-of-love-and/)

[Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/)

> [“The most terrible and beautiful and interesting things happen in life. For some of you, those things have already happened. Whatever happens to you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/the-most-terrible-and-beautiful-and-interesting-things-happen-in-life/)

[Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/)

> [Of course you want someone special to love you. A majority of the people who write to me inquire about how they can get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/of-course-you-want-someone-special-to-love-you-a-majority-of-the/)

[Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/)

> [It's still true that literary works by women, gays, and writers of color are often framed as specific, rather than universal, small rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/it-s-still-true-that-literary-works-by-women-gays-and-writers-of/)

[Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/)

> [My whole life sort of ended when my mom died.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/my-whole-life-sort-of-ended-when-my-mom-died/)

[Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/)

> [“And you have to do it no matter what is true. No matter what is hard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/and-you-have-to-do-it-no-matter-what-is-true-no-matter-what-is-hard/)

[Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/)

> [“Don’t listen to those people who suggest you should be “over” your daughter’s death by now. The people who squawk the loudest about such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/don-t-listen-to-those-people-who-suggest-you-should-be-over-your/)

[Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/)

> [“. . . there was the actual doing it, quickly followed by the grim realization of what it meant to do it, followed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/there-was-the-actual-doing-it-quickly-followed-by-the-grim/)

[Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/)

> [“The sky didn't wonder where it was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/the-sky-didn-t-wonder-where-it-was/)

[Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/)

> [He was the most ordinary man in all the world, and yet in her memory he'd become luminous, like the prince in a fairy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/he-was-the-most-ordinary-man-in-all-the-world-and-yet-in-her-memory/)

[Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/)

> [Love is our essential nutrient. Without it, life has little meaning. It's the best thing we have to give and the most valuable thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/love-is-our-essential-nutrient-without-it-life-has-little-meaning-it/)

[Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/)

> [“I never believed the boys were angry. I believed they were hurt and anger was the safest manifestation of their sorrow. It was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/i-never-believed-the-boys-were-angry-i-believed-they-were-hurt-and/)

[Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/)

> [“It’s wrong that this is required of you. It’s wrong that your son died. It will always be wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/it-s-wrong-that-this-is-required-of-you-it-s-wrong-that-your-son-died/)

[Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/)

> [“Your ultimatum is simple. It’s fair. And it’s stating your own intentions, not what you hope theirs will be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/your-ultimatum-is-simple-it-s-fair-and-it-s-stating-your-own/)

[Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/)

> [“We aren't poor," my mother said, again and again. "Because we're rich in love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/we-aren-t-poor-my-mother-said-again-and-again-because-we-re-rich-in/)

[Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/)

[Explore all 450 Cheryl Strayed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/)

## More Imperfect quotes

> [You know why you're not perfect? You do everything perfectly and you think you are perfect, but the mere fact that you think about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-know-why-you-re-not-perfect-you-do-everything-perfectly-and-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Laugh at every mistakes and realize that no one is perfect. We are human. All of us are imperfect, so there's no point judging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/laugh-at-every-mistakes-and-realize-that-no-one-is-perfect-we-are/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The process of putting intangible thoughts into an imperfect system of notation - which is difficult enough, depending on your ideas - acquaints you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andre-hamelin/the-process-of-putting-intangible-thoughts-into-an-imperfect-system/)

[Marc-Andre Hamelin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andre-hamelin/)

> [I'm an imperfect messenger, but the message is perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/i-m-an-imperfect-messenger-but-the-message-is-perfect/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [Look, don't judge Christianity by the imperfect examples that we have seen in history. Judge it by Jesus Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-smith/look-don-t-judge-christianity-by-the-imperfect-examples-that-we-have/)

[Chuck Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-smith/)

> [the most terribly human moments - the ones we want to pretend never happened - are the very moments that make us who we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-lawson/the-most-terribly-human-moments-the-ones-we-want-to-pretend-never/)

[Jenny Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-lawson/)

> [In the light of absolute values (religious or ethical) man himself is judged to be limited or imperfect, while he can occasionally accomplish acts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-e-hulme/in-the-light-of-absolute-values-religious-or-ethical-man-himself-is/)

[T. E. Hulme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-e-hulme/)

> [“When God broke his deal with me, I turned to the Devil. In the end, I wasn't happy. I realized that the imagination of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-suggs/when-god-broke-his-deal-with-me-i-turned-to-the-devil-in-the-end-i/)

[Lionel Suggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-suggs/)

> [I wish I was the girl with the perfect hair and flawless face..but wait... that's pretty much like a barbie... plastic and fake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goon-mariaa/i-wish-i-was-the-girl-with-the-perfect-hair-and-flawless-face-but/)

Goon\_Mariaa

> [Trusting people to be creative and constructive when given more freedom does not imply an overly optimistic belief in the perfectibility of human nature.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/trusting-people-to-be-creative-and-constructive-when-given-more/)

[Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/)

> [He felt safe with her. He'd never been safe with another human being, not since he'd been taken as a child from his home.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-feehan/he-felt-safe-with-her-he-d-never-been-safe-with-another-human-being/)

[Christine Feehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-feehan/)

> [The day we find the perfect church, it becomes imperfect the moment we join it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-day-we-find-the-perfect-church-it-becomes-imperfect-the-moment-we/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [You have been taught that there is something wrong with you and that you are imperfect, but there isn't and you're not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheri-huber/you-have-been-taught-that-there-is-something-wrong-with-you-and-that/)

[Cheri Huber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheri-huber/)

> [Drop the veneer periodically and be like "OK, I'm an imperfect human. Let's try to get through this."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-miller/drop-the-veneer-periodically-and-be-like-ok-i-m-an-imperfect-human/)

[Dennis Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-miller/)

> [Maybe...just maybe...I like being imperfect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/maybe-just-maybe-i-like-being-imperfect/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

Browse all 1,102 Imperfect quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Humans are beautifully imperfect and complex. We’re horny, ass-saving, ego-driven drug fiends, among other, more noble things.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Cheryl Strayed"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/humans-are-beautifully-imperfect-and-complex-we-re-horny-ass-saving/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Imperfect"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/humans-are-beautifully-imperfect-and-complex-we-re-horny-ass-saving/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c77/cheryl-strayed-605_imperfect_humans-are-beautifully-imperfect-and-com_432844.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c77/cheryl-strayed-605_imperfect_humans-are-beautifully-imperfect-and-com_432844.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c77/cheryl-strayed-605_imperfect_humans-are-beautifully-imperfect-and-com_432844.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Humans are beautifully imperfect and complex. We’re horny, ass-saving, ego-driven drug fiends, among other…” — Cheryl Strayed",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Cheryl Strayed",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Humans are beautifully imperfect and complex....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/humans-are-beautifully-imperfect-and-complex-we-re-horny-ass-saving/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/humans-are-beautifully-imperfect-and-complex-we-re-horny-ass-saving/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```