Jessica Alba Practices the Philosophy of Wabi-Sabi: What Is it and Why Is It Beneficial

Expert AdviceMay 5, 2021

It’s quite hard to master ignoring the naysayers when you’re a public personality – but it’s not impossible. Look at Jessica Alba, who has learned to embrace her imperfections and practiced the Japanese philosophy of the wabi-sabi.

Jessica Alba’s Outlook

Things can get overwhelming, more so if there are tons of people watching your every move. But for the actress, she has realized that it is best to accept everything life has to offer.

When she guested on the ‘Hot Ones’ show, where celebrities eat uber-spicy wings as they answer queries, the ‘Fantastic Four’ star opened up about her career and business. It was also where she divulged that she adheres to the wabi-sabi way of life.

Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock Jessica isn’t focusing on the negative

Jessica noted that if you can feel a connection to things that surround you and stories and memories altogether, then it is a great reminder to live life to the fullest.

Wabi-Sabi

The Japanese philosophy teaches us to focus on what is around us rather than trying to achieve perfection, which usually is the reason for stress and anxiety. Under this concept, things that have cracks or are work and broken have their own stories.

It is also true for our minds and bodies – the imperfections we see, like our scars and wrinkles, have a back story. Usually, these things are great reminders that we have tackled a lot of things in life to make us better.

Wabi-sabi promotes a fulfilling life because it teaches one to practice appreciation and acceptance of everything around them. This philosophy, although is hard to follow, is necessary to shift the focus on other things than our imperfections.

Marco Montalti/Shutterstock Kintsugi is the repair of pottery

An example of this way of living is seen in kintsugi, the art of pottery repair. In this process, gold dusted lacquer fills the cracks, which reflects the story and rich age of the material. It is also a way to say that nothing remains perfect in this world and that underlining the flaws will bring the beauty of it even more.

Pratfall Effect

This is somehow similar to the pratfall effect, wherein people who are considered almost perfect commit a blunder, making them more attractive and likable in the eyes of others. In 2017, Justin Bieber famously announced he was taking a break from his performances and tours.

DFree / Shutterstock Justin Bieber admitted his imperfections

The Canadian crooner admitted that he wasn’t grammatically perfect and revealed about his thoughts on imperfections – that there’s something special about them. Of course, wabi-sabi advocates were in awe of what Justin did.