"The challenge is that perfectionism tends to masquerade as diligence and achievement. Who wouldn't want to do things properly, to high standards, to the best of their ability? Perfectionists thus generally wish to rid themselves of the negative consequences of this trait anxiety, depression and burnout but not to lower their standards. This is hardly surprising given that perfectionism is often rewarded and praised and thus positively reinforced."
"Yet beneath the surface, it is often less about excellence than about fear. Perfectionism is associated with the pursuit of quality but it is more accurately characterised by a fear of failure. Healthy striving a flexible wish to improve and to do a good job is not the same as perfectionism, which tends to be rigid, driven by anxiety and unrelenting self-criticism."
Perfectionism transforms reasonable self-improvement goals into all-or-nothing tests of self-worth, where a single mistake triggers self-reproach. Perfectionism often presents as diligence and high standards while masking fear, anxiety, depression, burnout and shame. Perfectionism is characterised more by fear of failure than by genuine pursuit of excellence. Healthy striving is flexible and allows improvement, whereas perfectionism is rigid, driven by anxiety and unrelenting self-criticism. Perfectionism treats flaws as evidence of personal defectiveness, condemning individuals to chronic dissatisfaction and fear of exposure. The fear of failure can produce counterproductive behaviours such as procrastination, where avoidance replaces imperfect effort.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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