Perfectionism is a morbid or target human tendency to make everything perfect?

It is said that no one is perfect. Just we react to this expression in different ways: one may relax, realizing that it makes no sense to seek perfection, and the other takes it as a challenge. The last one proudly calls himself a perfectionist and holy believe, that is the engine of progress.

Logic would seem simple – the more you seek, the more you will achieve. Why should you be satisfied with the sparrow in your hand, if you can catch the hart? Perfectionists firmly believe that only because of their maximalism the world is turning – sports records, inventions, growing economy and flourishing culture. Unfortunatelly, not everything looks as it is from the first glance. But maybe inventions, art masterpieces and sports records have nothing to do with perfectionism?

Perfectionism is sickly human tendency to do everything perfectly. Great discoveries, artistic masterpieces is the first a idea without small details. Most important that an idea would be very new. Often ingenious idea originally is even ignored because it’s too non-standard, contrary to the normal rules and truths. So, it has really nothing to do with what is called.

Perfectionism can not be divided into the negative and the positive. There is nothing positive. Such distinction is just an invention of a perfectionists, so that they could justify themselves and for others what they are doing and why. There are no word “good” for them, or “sufficient”, everything just has to be perfect. Perfection aspiration hamper in their daily work. Pathological desire to do everything perfectly determine the fact that a man can not a long time to finish what he has started, still wants to improve, correct. These people very often delay to give back the works, to deliver projects.

The desire to make the most out of your work is a natural and understandable. But if, on completion, you not feel satisfaction, but you see just what could have been done better, it can no longer be called a healthy ambition. In order to grow, it is important to learn from both: successes and failures. Success shows that you are moving in the right direction, and the failure – what should be avoided that the move would be smoother. Unfortunately, perfectionists are unable to learn from neither one nor the other, because any success for them looks inadequate, and failure paralyzes completely. They rarely feel happy because, thinking only about the end result, are unable to fully enjoy the process.

Typically, mostly suffer the perfectionist’s relatives, family. Such a partner often chooses similar person. Or, on the contrary – those who are seeking to supplement the missing part of their personality. Seeking for perfection they see as a positive feature, and of all their forces are trying to please a partner and then suffer, if fails.

Offers to help get rid of perfectionism are a lot in the press or self help books: learn to accept criticism, set for yourself realistic goals, relax, evaluate mistakes as lessons in life, understand that you are valuable not matter what you have done, and so on. Unfortunately, all these tips rarely reaches a certain perfectionist’s brain. Because, in order to comply with them, you must first recognize that this feature not helps your life, but harms.

Perfection is an illusion, and our true aspiration should be the golden middle – the possibilities meeting the goals.

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