Admitting a mistake can sometimes feel like a death sentence.

I've argued elsewhere that moral perfectionism is less about objective morality and more about approval. This is apparent by how often we're able to admit our mistakes and how we treat those who disagree with us, even those whom we consider to be immoral. According to the DSM-5, Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder, which entails perfectionistic tendencies, indicates a preoccupation with rules. People often think of perfectionism as being symbolic of the highest moral values. While that is true in some sense, as perfectionists tend to be extremely rigid about following their values, there's more than meets the eye.

When we think of goodness, of someone who is as good as they appear to be, we tend to imagine humility and a struggle to answer the fundamental questions of morality. How do we incorporate the knowledge that we did something bad? How do we make amends? Is any degree of cruelty ever justified? Can we actually be good and believe we're good at the same time?........

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