Perfectionism II: Dangers of Being a Perfectionist

2020-11-15T07:00:29+00:00

By Cory

A few days ago, we started a mini series on perfectionism. In our very first article, we explained the signs of perfectionism to help you identify if you’re actually a perfectionist. Among other things, we mentioned that perfectionists are bossy, obsessed with rules, and even unable to work under the pressure of their own high expectations. If you want the gist of this, you can click here.Now that you’re all caught up, you should know that perfectionism usually does you more harm than good. If you happen to be a perfectionist, the chances are that you won’t exactly spend your days filled with glee and a perfect state of mental health. But, that’s a bit vague. Let us look at the specific dangers of perfectionism.

It puts you under a significant amount of stress

When you’re always trying to make things perfect, it means that you’re always on your toes. You’re always trying to see the next best way to do something. That might be a good thing.But, imagine spending up to seven hours ironing just three clothes because you want them to be absolutely free of all creases. Eventually, your body will start to bend under the pressure you’re putting it, and you’ll get too tired to continue. This is what perfectionism does to you.

It could lead to depression

If you’re not a perfectionist, you might not understand this. But, a true perfectionist knows how passionately they feel about things being in order. They constantly want to make sure that this and that are in the right positions.However, if a perfectionist happens to get thrown into a world that they cannot control, they’ll find themselves dealing with chaotic emotions. They’ll start to feel like they’re not good enough to get things done. When these emotions build up over time, they’re probably going to lead to depression in one way or another.

It damages personal relationships

Imagine working on something with a friend, and they continue trying to control you and what you’re doing. You do your best to stay in control and accept their corrections, but they don’t stop pointing out the slightest, ignorable mistakes in your work. It gets so bad that the friend even starts to get passive-aggressive about it.How would you feel? Infuriated, right? Well, that’s the general effect a perfectionist has on other people. Eventually, everyone will get tired of how much stress you put them through, and they’ll give you a wide berth.

Final Words

The dangers associated with perfectionism are long and exhausting. The condition can stress you out and even damage your social standing if you’re not very careful. However, you don’t have to live with it for too long. Next week, we’ll conclude our series and tell you how to handle this condition.

Discover more from NewsBreakers

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

What's your reaction?

Excited

Happy

In Love

Not Sure

Silly

Perfectionism II: Dangers of Being a Perfectionist