The Concept of Perfectionism
Do you push yourself to be the best? Do you get mad at yourself for not doing the best? Do you delay assignments till the last possible limit because of fear of rejection? Do you feel horrible when work isn’t done to your best ability of when minor failures seem like catastrophic ones? These are all signs of what is known as perfectionism (Pacht 1984). If you seem to agree with most of these things then you might be a perfectionist. According to Webster’s dictionary, it states that perfectionism is "a disposition which regards anything less than perfect, unacceptable." Many people in the world suffer from perfectionism. So is that case of Mike Bellah. His perfectionism lead him to a lifestyle where he lost who he was. He states, "When we’re always playing a part, we no longer know who we really are." Perfectionists try to do everything perfect leading them to an unstable, unsatisfying life. There are many characteristics and effects of perfectionism. Coping with the disorder of being a perfectionist can lead to a much more stable life.
There are many characteristics and causes of perfectionism "It’s a compulsive guide to unrealistic goals" says psychiatrist David Burns. "Setting high personal standards and goals, and working hard to attain them is appropriate," he states, "however, perfectionists set excessively high goals and strive compulsively to achieve them." Perfectionists have the constant drive to be perfect. Anything less than the best is unacceptable to them. They refuse to live with anything than the best. The constant strive for excellence in everything that one does is one key characteristic when describing
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perfectionism. Their measurement of their worth is entirely in terms of productivity and accomplishment. Perfectionists try to do so much to please others, and to show how much they can do, and overlook what they really want to do in life. They might take on so many jobs and get in over their head. They can’t say no to an idea because they would consider
that failure. Many times, perfectionists start things over because things aren’t going perfect (Pacht 1984). Some have long delays in completing assignments, or repeatedly starting over on assignments because the work must be prefect from the beginning and continue to be perfect as one goes along. The causes of perfectionism can be described by th...
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...nt without always accomplishing everything perfect, their life will become better manageable. Coping with perfectionism
may not be easy, but these are a few key ideas to help those live better in life, and instead of trying to be perfect, to be "above average" or "normal."
The many individuals in the world who suffer with perfectionism deal with it day to day. Perfectionists want to be perfect, which leads to a life that is not perfect. You can still set high goals for yourself, but they should be ones that can be accomplished. Some people try and harness perfectionism to work for them than letting it control their lives. They aren’t ashamed of it, and understand that it serves a useful purpose. Some people are able to control it, and some people aren’t. The concept of being perfect is one that cannot be achieved, because no one is ever perfect. It is a symbol of what is correct 100% and because we are human beings and not machines it is not possible. Everyone has goals for themselves, but to live a healthy life, we need to make them realistic. We can still give our best, but we need to please ourselves and be aware of who we are before we need to be perfect for others.
The mean of Maladaptive perfectionism was 2.47 (2dp) and a low SD of 0.74 (2dp). The also Low SD of Maladaptive perfectionism statistics indicate a low chance of variability in the dataset. The mean Maladaptive
But then her eyes sought Aylmer’s face with trouble and anxiety. She then said to him ‘Dearest Aylmer, I’m dying,’ and she died.” (Hawthorne 324). Perfectionism is something everyone should try to avoid. It can never bring comfort, instead it adds to the
Perfection? Can any one person be perfect? Benjamin Franklin believed that he could accomplish this task. Benjamin Franklin was known for being a cognizant and diligent perfectionist. During his lifetime, many people were concerned with correcting themselves of any fault that they may have had. Benjamin Franklin did have an interesting way to proclaim how he, could show everyone how to be perfect. He believes that he can make himself perfect. Even though his ways of being perfect are not the same as everyone else's ideas, he still tries to show them he can be perfect. In his essay "Arriving at Perfection" Benjamin Franklin tries to tell everyone how he will be perfect and how he is going to actually accomplish this task.
...that can foil even the best plans. Perfection does not have a single definition, “The act of making something perfect or better”-Merriam Webster. It is up to each individual to decide whether he or she achieved perfection in their job, and the bar to determine that is similarly different for each individual. In the end when the task has been completed individuals shouldn’t necessarily ask themselves if they were perfect, they should ask themselves how they can improve from their experience. Achieving perfection is a constant chase, when one thinks they were perfect they must also realize that they could have been better. When an individual thinks they are perfect, they have given up on the chase for perfection. “Better is possible. It does not take genius. It takes diligence. It takes moral clarity. It takes ingenuity. And above all, it takes a willingness to try.”
In today’s modern society it is known for people to be a little too concerned with the way people perceive them. What do you think when a person says they want to be perfect, do you think appearance, money, knowledge, or maybe even social status? The pursuit of perfection should not be a standard of modern society due to the effects it has on one’s health and social life.
Constant failure can cause someone to ask: “why am I even trying?” and “what the point if I can’t do it perfectly?”. Teresa Borchard writes about her losing sight of a path in front of her in her article "Good Perfectionism versus Bad Perfectionism", where she talking about getting caught in an OCD loop stating: “I have trouble letting go of the decision I made last week, or a mistake I made six years ago, or something in the future that I’m preparing for” (Borchard). Gawain experiences the same kinds of set-backs during the poem, often veering off the path in front of him because of his constant want for perfection. Even when he accomplishes a goal, he feels as though he doesn’t actually deserve any positive reinforcement because he wasn’t perfect with every step of the way. For example, Gawain states "I am greatly honoured, though I am not in fact such a man as you speak of, to deserve such respect as you have just described I am completely unworthy, I know very well” (Sir Gawain… 1241-1244). Rejecting encouraging feed-back as well as getting caught up in the small imperfections of something positive are both results of striving for complete perfection. It is easy to “forget that as humans we’re part of nature, as well. As such, we would benefit if we came into acceptance of the natural flow of life, which by the way,
With perfectionism, procrastination arises because the perfectionist is either not capable of starting or finishing a task because the outcome will never live up to the perfectionist's unrealistic standards. Makes sense.
...o act unjustly. In order to sustain perfection there needs to be a willingness to negatively affect others for personal gain, such as the corporate leaders of the Compounds and their consumers, and Crake and all of the people close to him. The best way to avoid this very common and toxic desire in life is to be completely and utterly satisfied with the self and have no passion for perfection like Jimmy did. His acceptance of his dysfunctional family and himself allowed him to avoid the deception that is perfection.
When you are performing and competing as a gymnasts winning isn’t everything. For instance, when I would perform or compete on uneven bars if I was just happy with finishing my routine and not falling off the bars. Bars was my worst area in gymnastics. Almost every gymnasts has this area they dread but have to do. In this area if you didn’t win it didn’t matter as long as you did your best. Also just advancing in your skills is what matters to a gymnasts not winning. Another thing people say is all gymnasts are perfectionists. This is also a false statement. When being a gymnast you can’t be a perfectionist because if you are then every skill that you do won’t ever be good enough. Even the best of the best don’t do every skill perfectly. Gymnasts do spend a lot of time on one skill but that doesn’t mean that they are perfectionists. Many different components go into just one skill. For instance, doing a backflip in gymnastics you have to jump at the right time you have to tuck your legs in at the right time and point your toes. In many of the skills it is timing and it is very rare you go out there and do a performance completely perfect. To be a gymnast you can’t be a perfectionist because doing your best has to be good enough, otherwise you will constantly be down on yourself. For me when learning a new skill just landing on my feet makes me feel good. Then after I land it I worry
Nobody is perfect. Some people have insignificant shortcomings that would not affect their life; but others have major flaws, which might cause big issues.
Perfection is what many people attempt to achieve in there lives, yet none do. It is the ideal result to the hard work and toil each person does, in order to become greater than they are now. Within literature, characters may seem perfect but upon closer inspection, are deeply flawed. This is the case in the three pieces of literature; Oedipus the King, My Last Duchess, and Death of a Salesman. All three of these prove that fact that “Perfection is like a dream. When people finally see the flaws, they wake up and the dream ends.”
During the school day, I always work my hardest to complete all of my homework, and if I end up bringing some home, I prefer to get it done as soon as possible. While working with my grandparents either in the garden or around the farm, I strive to impress them with my hard work and determination to get the job done. Even in my current job, I work hard to complete the given tasks correctly and also efficiently. Perfectionism is obviously incorporated in all of those working environments, and I believe that it pushes me harder and harder each day. As a result of my perfectionism the outcome of my work is usually the best it can be. Although it might limit me, I always give one hundred percent when it comes to completing various tasks, and find pride in being a hard
Perfectionism of the mind is a goal rationalists try to strive for. Perhaps the main problem with this concept is that it promotes over achievement on everything we do. For many...
Lower down your standards. Are you a perfectionist? If you are, then learn how to lower down your standards, accept mistakes, and go for accomplishments like “good enough.”
Whenever this happened, some always felt the need to blurt out that they knew something “the smart kid” didn’t; it was a terrible feeling that I tried hard to avoid. The concept of perfection also had a significant affect on my daily life outside of school. It prevented me from trying new things for fear of not being good at everything. As a perfectionist, I spent less time with my family because I was always studying, redoing notes, and “perfecting” assignments and