I think a middle ground between Dustin's position and yours does exist. Japanese people have found it, as their relation to material objects is ambivalent. On

I think a middle ground between Dustin's position and yours does exist. Japanese people have found it, as their relation to material objects is ambivalent. On one hand, they strive for perfection, such as found in this kitchenware example and their millennial craftsmanship experience. The documentary Jiro dreams of Sushi is a perfect example of this philosophy. But on the other hand, they have a term for describing the beauty of things imperfect, transient and impermanent, that's [Wabi-Sabi](http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabi-sabi http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabi-sabi). Even In the aforementioned documentary, one can clearly see that the perfection Jiro seeks is achieved through numerous mundane objects, utterly imperfect in their nature. (The coal barbecue he uses jumps to mind for example) I think that the quest for perfection has to be selective and targeted, not absolute, if you don't want to get lost in the way. In this I don't agree with Dustin on this one.