A while back, my mother and I had a discussion on the idea of perfectionism, and people’s assertion that they are perfectionist. My mom, who I suspect was having flashbacks of aggravating former colleagues, rejected the idea that any one can be a perfectionist. Rather, she opined, when people assert their perfectionism, it is often either an excuse for procrastinating tendencies, or an attempt to appear like something they are not, i.e. perfect. I thought her critique was a bit harsh and overreaching, and insisted that when people describe themselves as a perfectionist, their statement was not so much declarative as it was aspirational. In other words, they are expressing their desire to produce work that is flawless. She rejected this contention, and believes the English language holds more precise words that convey that thought like “meticulous,” “fastidious” or “thorough.” Moreover, she continued, most people want to produce flawless or perfect work. That does not mean they are perfectionist, it simply means they care about their work and their image.
Although I still think my mom may be placing a too stringent definition on the word perfectionism, ultimately I believe we hold the same sentiment. The problem with perfectionism is that it causes one to aim for an ever-elusive target, i.e. perfection. As one definition of perfectionism describes, it is the “refusal to accept any standard short of perfection.” But we are imperfect beings, who by our very nature produce imperfect creations. Self-declared perfectionist (of which I am one), then, live a paradoxical existence, whereby they constantly chase a standard that is contrary to their very nature. In their own strength this is impossible, and can lead to incessant discontentment or disappointment.
In truth, perfectionism, like the notion of objectivity, is a myth. We have articulated a standard for being that sounds great in theory, but falls short in its practical application. Furthermore, I believe our insistence on the use of the term is to our detriment. Perfectionism belies the human condition, and breeds fear into the creative process. Our fear of making a mistake or not reaching our perfectionist standards may hinder our progress or level of creativity. We can become like one who is so afraid of losing that they never play the game.
Therefore, our standard for ourselves can be high, but it must be realistic. There is nothing wrong with wanting to produce perfect or flawless work. I certainly hold that goal. But where perfectionism fails as a standard is in its inflexibility. It does not allow for the reality of human nature and cannot expand to allow different forms of greatness to emerge. After all, many great inventions were discovered by mistake or imperfection. For example, the electrical engineer John Hopps tried to create a devise for treating hypothermia. What resulted was a flawed devise for treating hypothermia, but a great devise for treating the heart, which we now know as the pacemaker. Had he been stuck on reaching perfection with his hypothermia devise and lacked flexibility in how he saw his contraption, he might not have been open to go down the different his imperfection was leading him.
Likewise, to all my fellow self-declared perfectionists, we must strive to be great, but release ourselves of the stress of the impossible. Be open to where our flaws, mistakes and imperfections lead us. Who knows, maybe one day our imperfection might solve one of the world’s greatest problems.
–Until Next Time–
Palooke
