Erschienen in:
01.10.2015 | Your Best Life
Your Best Life: Perfectionism—The Bane of Happiness
verfasst von:
John D. Kelly IV, MD
Erschienen in:
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research®
|
Ausgabe 10/2015
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Excerpt
Ambitious 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 self-esteem 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]. …