Is perfectionism a disease?

[loulou]

According to a Canadian study, perfectionism may be an obstacle in personal growth. Displaying an obsessive urge to do everything perfectly is a condition which may actually be hiding some form of psychological disorder.

 

 

 

Thankfully I don't try to be perfect.... I just am.

[smurfboy]

I wish I could suffer from it - I might get more done!

I think perfectionism can be a trait displayed by those with borderline personality disorders. Wanting to get things right and having pride in your work is a positive thing.  But real perfectionism is a destructive, ultra nit-picking behaviour, which is not good.

[oldspice]

Sometimes the trait can actually prevent a person from doing anything at all. I see young people who will attmpt two lines of work then rip it up in anger and throw the chair across the room because they have made  a tiny error. Then they refuse to do anything at all.

 

My answer is to give them a 'plan and draft book'. The rule is that their work is planned and drafted in that book and refined until they are happy with it, then transferred to 'real paper'.  It helps them to develop confidence and to 'risk' making mistakes in order to reach a goal.

 

Often, they don't realise that it is normal to rough something out before perfecting it. They think making a mistake is a sign of being stupid and worthless. I have to break that cycle.

[Scarlet Passion]

That sounds like hard but rewarding work Oldspice.

 

I often wish I was a little more of a perfectionist, then my work and my room might be neater and tidier, and I daresay my mum wouldn't mind that too much either.

But I do agree that too much could be a bad thing, which could effectively stop you from getting anything accomplished at all.

Ahh, but I am not the right kind of personality to ever suffer from perfectionism.

My mum often says my room is a tip, but I say "no, it's not untidy, it's 'informal'."