Ugly Vase A potter places a ball of clay on his wheel and shapes it into a perfect vase. He patiently lets it set overnight before carving an intricate design into it and calling it beautiful. It's placed in a kiln and let to cool for another night. The next day he dips it into different glazes and then paints it with stain, many small gorgeous designs over every centimeter of the vase. He examines it, admires it, and places it in the kiln one last time. The following morning, when it has cooled down, the potter examines his work further. He's smiling, he's in love with this vase. It is exactly what he wanted. It is flawless in every way. But then he realizes a mistake. A speck of misplaced stain at the bottom. He pulls it far away from his face and is distraught with disappointment. How could he not have seen it sooner? This one tiny flaw, this minor mistake, has completely ruined the vase's beauty. It is worthless. He can never look at it the same way again. In the midst of his realization, he becomes enraged and throws the vase forcefully at the ground, and it shatters. He leaves. The next day he returns to his vase, still in a million pieces on the floor of his workshop. Upon seeing the pieces, the potter becomes depressed and filled with regret. "What have I done?" He says. He looks at his trembling hands with disgust and fear. In a state of panic and desperation, the potter begins to pick up the pieces of the vase and places them on his desk carefully, hoping he can manage to acquire every last piece. "What have I done?" He cries as he places small amounts of glue over every piece and attempts to piece it back together. He realizes he could never make something so beautiful again. Even with that tiny imperfection, this vase was something unique, and even though there was a chance he'd have found more imperfections, more things that only made him grimace upon looking at it, he knew that the entirety of this vase was much more beautiful than anything else he could forge. After hours of effort, the potter finally gives up, cries, and starts over. He never creates a more beautiful piece of pottery than the one he impulsively threw away.