"Out of timber so crooked as that from which man is made nothing entirely straight can be carved"

This quote by Immanuel Kant is a metaphor for the imperfect nature of humankind. He is recommending that, just as a misaligned piece of timber can not be carved into something perfectly directly, so too, humans can not be perfect. This is due to the fact that human beings are flawed and imperfect, and no matter how hard we try, we can not be ideal. We are all born with certain characteristics and qualities that make us special, and these characteristics can be both favorable and unfavorable. Kant is recommending that, no matter how hard we attempt, we can not leave our flaws. We must accept them and discover to live with them. This quote is a suggestion that we must not strive for excellence, however rather, make every effort to be the very best variation of ourselves that we can be. We must accept our imperfections and use them to our benefit. We should aim to be the best variation of ourselves, and not be prevented by our flaws.