A question about perfect machines
 

Okay, I have a question and I really do want to have the answer. Maybe someone here knows the answer, if not, just please ignore this topic. Back to my drunken ramblings, scary part, I'm pretty sober.

So you build a perfect machine, it's perfect in every way. Everything is going along fine, then one day it springs a leak. Is it still a perfect machine? Was it a perfect machine in the first place? Do perfect machines spring leaks?

Maybe if you built it to be self-healing? Or it's a perfect machine that just requires a little upkeep?

Would you keep insisting that the machine was perfect if one day it springs a leak(starts leaking)? Would you try to fix it, or just stand back and watch it leak? Because, after all, it was the perfect machine. It must be able to fix itself?

How is something perfect if you have to go back and fix it? The thing I really want the answer to: Do perfect machines spring leaks? Or was it your own mistake to call it perfect in the first place?

Is this a metaphor for parenting? If so, I got nothin'.

The word "perfect" means without any flaws or defects. If it's leaking, either it's supposed to leak, or it's not perfect. Even being self-healing isn't perfect.

Now, it's possible that it can be perfect for a limited time. That it is designed in such a way that it will run perfectly until it wears out after a specific time. So it could in theory be perfect until it's done, then spring a leak - but after it's perfect time runs out, it's no longer perfect.

Probably though, there's no such thing as absolute perfection. There are only approximations.

It's still perfect if you look at the leak as a feature, not an imperfection.

Maybe you need to be as liberal with "perfect" as you are with "sober". :)

I'm going to go for a walk and think about that... So if it's a fact("if" being the main word) that is was perfect, then the only other conclusion, it was supposed to leak? Or is there another option?

Ah, yes, another option... still going for that walk though... I hope I don't fall down.

Someone's perfection is making your machine and maintaining it and repairing it and keeping it up to perfection.

Someone else's perfection is making the perfect machine and not turning it on for fear that it may leak one day.

It's not the second one, the machine was turned on. Unless they kept it up to perfection, then it's no longer perfect? It was perfect, but now it's not because they let it go? Forgot about keeping up with the maintenance?

All machines wear out eventually. :)

MC

Okay, is this the final answer? It was perfect, now it's not, someone forgot to maintain it. So that would be the fault of the creator, not the machine, right? It's not the machine's fault it was neglected?