2015/04/03 by John D. Kelly · 1 citation
Psychology · Medicine · #Perfectionism, Procrastination, Anxiety Studies #Perfectionism (psychology) #Medicine #Happiness #Anxiety #Excellence #Perfection #Social psychology #Aesthetics #Psychiatry #Psychology #Clinical psychology #Law #Epistemology
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s11999-015-4279-9
openalex publication_date 2015/04/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
A mbitious individuals tend to call themselves ‘‘perfectionists,’’ and many wear the label as a badge of honor. Giving perfectionism this positive connotation can hide larger, more deep-seated issues. A distinction must be made between the ‘‘pursuit of excellence’’ and perfectionism [7]. Working hard or pushing oneself to the brink to achieve a goal is the sign of a dedicated individual, not necessarily perfectionism. In most cases, perfectionism derives from anxiety or selfesteem issues, which themselves have been linked to less personal satisfaction and an increased risk of suicide [7, 9]. Indeed, perfectionists have a higher risk of eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and depression [3]. Such a life is riddled with fear and extreme caution. Creativity, joy, inspiration, and even productivity are stunted when perfection is the only option. Ironically, according to Flett and colleagues [5], successful people actually are less likely to be perfectionists, as the symptoms of perfectionism are more likely to thwart higher levels of success one might achieve [2, 7]. Many of us try to attain perfection. We try to cultivate (or at least project) perfect marriages, and yes, we strive to perform perfect surgical procedures—even though we inwardly know that perfection is an illusion. Yet we all have tales of surgeons spending more than 6 hours in an operating room attempting to achieve the ‘‘perfect’’ fracture reduction in a case which typically requires a fraction of that time. In a vocation as demanding as orthopaedic surgery, perfectionism can sap a surgeon’s energy—leaving little room for self-care and relationships. For the surgeon, challenging cases may be deferred. Patients an average surgeon could readily handle on a given day are often referred elsewhere. In essence, perfectionists fear imperfection, and equate any error with personal defectiveness. Perfectionists are generally exceedingly sensitive to criticism. They procrastinate, waiting for the perfect time to attend to tasks [5]. Even when a perfectionist achieves success, they do not experience the delight of the accomplishment. Instead, there is only relief that this time they did not fail. They lead their lives convinced that perfection is the only means to self-acceptance [6].