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Unlearning Perfectionism | Arun Prasad

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A way out from the perfectionism trap

There is a common idea that perfectionism is the need for perfect results: the maximum test score, the flawless recital, the unanimous verdict. But this idea misses the deeper reality. More generally, perfectionism is the tendency to stake your identity on achieving fixed outcomes. Fixed outcomes vary by person. The perfect performance is the stereotype, but a fixed outcome might be feeling smart, beautiful, and right, or getting that car or job we've been craving for so long. Every perfectionist has their own personal ideal. None of these outcomes are problems. But they become so when they in

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