--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everyone's looking for the perfect…" description: "\"Everyone's looking for the perfect teacher, but although their teachings might be divine, teachers are all too human, and that's something people find ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ae/paulo-coelho-10_accepting_everyone-s-looking-for-the-perfect-teach_1829721.jpg" --- # Everyone's looking for the perfect teacher, but although… ![“Everyone's looking for the perfect teacher, but although their teachings might be divine, teachers are all too human, and that's something people find hard to accept. Don't confuse the teacher with the lesson, the ritual with the ecstasy, the transmitter of the symbol with the symbol itself.” quote by Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ae/paulo-coelho-10_accepting_everyone-s-looking-for-the-perfect-teach_1829721.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ae/paulo-coelho-10_accepting_everyone-s-looking-for-the-perfect-teach_1829721.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ae/paulo-coelho-10_accepting_everyone-s-looking-for-the-perfect-teach_1829721.jpg) > “Everyone's looking for the perfect teacher, but although their teachings might be divine, teachers are all too human, and that's something people find hard to accept. Don't confuse the teacher with the lesson, the ritual with the ecstasy, the transmitter of the symbol with the symbol itself.” [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Teachers are human and imperfect; the lesson matters more than the messenger, and rituals differ from true experience. **In simple terms:** Focus on the lesson, not the teacher’s perfection. Key Takeaway Seek wisdom in the message, not the messenger. Themes humility learning expectations Mood contemplative inspirational Type literary motivational When to use this quote - education - spiritual practice - personal development - mentorship Key Concepts pedagogy symbolic meaning Questions to Reflect On - How can you differentiate the teaching from the teacher? - What rituals feel empty compared to genuine experience? A Different Perspective Idealizing teachers can hinder personal insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accepting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepting/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine/) [Divine Teachers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine-teachers-2263176/) [Ecstasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ecstasy/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Perfect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect/) [Perfect teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect-teacher/) [Ritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ritual/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Symbols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/symbols/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) [Teacher Teachings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher-teachings-2263178/) [Teachers Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teachers-human-2263177/) [Teaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teaching/) [Teachings Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teachings-divine-2263179/) [Witch of portobello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witch-of-portobello/) ## Related quotes > [“Everyone's looking for the perfect teacher, but although their teachings might be divine, teachers are all too human, and that's something people find all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/everyone-s-looking-for-the-perfect-teacher-but-although-their-2/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I never knew teachers are human beings like everybody else-- and better too!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/i-never-knew-teachers-are-human-beings-like-everybody-else-and-better/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [Love cannot be held prisoner because it is a river and will overflow its banks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/love-cannot-be-held-prisoner-because-it-is-a-river-and-will-overflow/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Laugh at your worries and insecurities. View your anxieties with humor. It will be difficult at first, but you'll gradually get used to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/laugh-at-your-worries-and-insecurities-view-your-anxieties-with-humor/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Now go back and meet all those people who you think know everything. Convince yourself that they're right, because we all know everything, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/now-go-back-and-meet-all-those-people-who-you-think-know-everything/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Don't be like those people who believe in 'positive thinking' and tell themselves that they're loved and strong and capable. You don't need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/don-t-be-like-those-people-who-believe-in-positive-thinking-and-tell-2/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Our time on this earth is sacred, and we should celebrate every moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/our-time-on-this-earth-is-sacred-and-we-should-celebrate-every-moment/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [We all have an unknown ability, which will probably remain unknown forever. And yet that ability can become our ally. Since it’s impossible to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/we-all-have-an-unknown-ability-which-will-probably-remain-unknown/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [When you dance you can enjoy the luxury of being you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-you-dance-you-can-enjoy-the-luxury-of-being-you/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Anyone who tries to imprison love will cut off the spring that feeds it, and the trapped water will grow stagnant and rank.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/anyone-who-tries-to-imprison-love-will-cut-off-the-spring-that-feeds/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Finally, the Witch justifies her existence by going in search of complete and limitless pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/finally-the-witch-justifies-her-existence-by-going-in-search-of/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The Martyr finds her way to self-knowledge through pain, suffering, and surrender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-martyr-finds-her-way-to-self-knowledge-through-pain-suffering-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/feelings-like-disappointment-embarrassment-irritation-resentment-2/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [Only the wounded healer is able to heal. As long as we think that spiritual leaders need to be perfect, we live in poverty.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-love/only-the-wounded-healer-is-able-to-heal-as-long-as-we-think-that/) [Angelina Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-love/) > [Feelings like disappointment,í embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/feelings-like-disappointment-embarrassment-irritation-resentment/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) ## More by Paulo Coelho > [I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-have-inside-me-the-winds-the-deserts-the-oceans-the-stars-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Love will never separate a man from his personal legend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/love-will-never-separate-a-man-from-his-personal-legend/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [To love is to be in communion with the other and to discover in that other the spark of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/to-love-is-to-be-in-communion-with-the-other-and-to-discover-in-that/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [It is not enough to dream of the Impossible Love - it is necessary to conquer it too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-is-not-enough-to-dream-of-the-impossible-love-it-is-necessary-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Eat when it is time to eat. And walk when it is time to walk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/eat-when-it-is-time-to-eat-and-walk-when-it-is-time-to-walk/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [People are reading more and writing more because of the internet. So the virtual world is a way for me to listen to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/people-are-reading-more-and-writing-more-because-of-the-internet-so/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Joy is like sex – it begins and ends. I want pleasure. I want to be contended, but happiness? I no longer fall into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/joy-is-like-sex-it-begins-and-ends-i-want-pleasure-i-want-to-be/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Trudi se da zivis, sjecanja su za starije ljude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/trudi-se-da-zivis-sjecanja-su-za-starije-ljude/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I've always been a very restless person. I work hard, spend too much time looking after my son, I dance like a mad thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-ve-always-been-a-very-restless-person-i-work-hard-spend-too-much/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [When someone leaves, it's because someone else is about to arrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-someone-leaves-it-s-because-someone-else-is-about-to-arrive/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-past-and-the-future-become-unimportant-there-is-only-that-moment/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [She didn't need to understand the meaning of life; it was enough to find someone who did, and then fall asleep in his arms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/she-didn-t-need-to-understand-the-meaning-of-life-it-was-enough-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The simpler the pose, the better; the more sober, the more beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-simpler-the-pose-the-better-the-more-sober-the-more-beautiful/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) [Explore all 3,665 Paulo Coelho quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More Accepting quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [Laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing! It is the jester! A voice from the Void, to cheer poor Cicero! I accept your gift, dearest Night Mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/laughing-laughing-laughing-laughing-it-is-the-jester-a-voice-from-the/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [This duo inside of me causes the perfect opportunity to live and learn twice as fast as those who choose to accept simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/this-duo-inside-of-me-causes-the-perfect-opportunity-to-live-and/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [It takes an unusually philosophic mind to accept that all one’s suffering might be to no end, really, in the larger scheme of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-an-unusually-philosophic-mind-to-accept-that-all-one-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No nation being under another nation can accept gifts, and kick at the responsibility attached to those gifts, imposed by the conquering nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-nation-being-under-another-nation-can-accept-gifts-and-kick-at-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. A woman in Santa Barbara, California, sent a $40,000 check.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-abel/even-with-clothing-naked-animals-there-were-people-who-wanted-to-send/) [Alan Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-abel/) > [Society understands the architecture of academia and knows there are relevant qualifications in different fields, and the media accepts the idea of specialisations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-griffiths/society-understands-the-architecture-of-academia-and-knows-there-are/) [Jay Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-griffiths/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [As my films are born at the moment when they are reflected into another person's mind and memories, there are no misconceptions. I totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/as-my-films-are-born-at-the-moment-when-they-are-reflected-into/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) [Browse all 6,788 Accepting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Everyone's looking for the perfect teacher, but although their teachings might be divine, teachers are all too human, and that's something people find hard to accept. 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