Do you feel things need to be perfect to be satisfied? Unfortunately, too frequent and desperate attempts to be the best of the lot is not always a good sign. Many people worldwide are struggling from perfectionism, which is a social scourge in our society full of five-star hotels, luxury, and ideal Instagram photos. Although culturally we often interpret perfectionism as a positive phenomenon, sometimes it leads to self-destruction and the lack of desired success. One should remember that striving for flawlessness is not always a bad thing, but this is a path full of turns and twists.

So what’s wrong with an idea to be perfect?

1. TRYING TO BE PERFECT DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE A GOOD PERFORMANCE

The primary problem with perfectionism is that it negates effectiveness. Ironically, unrealistic expectations and a high level of perfectionism prevent us from giving a good account of ourselves. Many people strain themselves to the utmost. They work harder and longer than is desirable and even physically possible. Unfortunately, this can lead only to physical depletion. Perfectionism, in fact, is marsh fire. The essence of perfectionism is to attain an ideal. But all we know that it could not be done. One can endlessly improve English. However, even doing this 24 hours a day, the level of English will not be “ideal.”

Perfectionists are slower workers, but through nor the fault of their own. Where others can perform several tasks, perfectionist goes down to the wire with only one point. On the surface, this is because of the desire to hit all the bases, which is quite natural. However, once you notice that constant edits and improvements take most of the day, things start to get really bad. As a final chord, you are still dissatisfied with the progress made. The same is your boss.

1. BEING A PERFECTIONIST IS BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH

Research confirms that perfectionism may lead to a number of clinical issues, like social anxiety disorder, depression, anorexia, PTSR, chronic headache, insomnia, binge eating, and even suicide ideation. Sarah Egan who specializes in perfectionism, anxiety, and eating disorders says, “There are studies that suggest that the higher the perfectionism is, the more psychological disorders you’re going to suffer” (Ruggeri). It is also interesting to note that there is an inverse correlation. In the sense that mental problems may also cause perfectionism.

Scientists throughout the world conducted an enormous number of field tests on that subject, and it appeared that these trends are linked to a certain age group, an educational background, and even ethnicity. Young teens in English-speaking cultures are exposed to the greatest risk. While one study found that perfectionism has been widely associated with the symptoms of depression, another survey shows that self-critical perfectionism might cause bipolar disorder (Corry et al.). On top of all that, scientists proved that almost every perfectionistic tendency relates to self-destructive streaks.

THE LAST THING…

Despite all of the aforesaid, the modern world still carries the culture of high achievers. However, one should know where to stop. Perfectionism does not have to be an enemy, but it is other than a sworn friend as well. If you are a perfectionist, you can just take this advantage to better yourself in something you love to do. Just do your best and move on.