What Is Perfectionism?

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The fear of ending up ordinary intensifies in early adulthood, when identity is still forming.

When achievement defines self-worth, each accomplishment raises the bar rather than settling it.

High achievers are often the most emotionally exhausted, because the standard moves with every milestone.

Separating self-worth from productivity is not a rejection of ambition; it is a more stable foundation for it.

Graduation season comes with a familiar script: change the world, maximize your potential, do great things. Most people leave those ceremonies carrying something quieter beneath the celebration: the belief that an ordinary life is not enough.

That belief lands hard during a developmental stage when identity is still forming, expectations are high, and the future feels simultaneously wide open and impossible to read. The path forward can look endless in one moment and completely unclear the next. I see it frequently in young adults I work with: The fear........

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