What Is Perfectionism?

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Perfectionism increases anxiety but rarely improves actual performance.

Research links rising perfectionism in youth to helicopter and intrusive parenting.

Letting go of perfectionism leads to more enjoyment and relaxed relationships.

As a recovering perfectionist, it took me a long time to learn the most important lesson: Perfectionism belongs in your rearview mirror. You're going to make mistakes anyway because you're human. Perfectionism doesn't stop that. It just raises the stakes on the consequences—mostly internal ones—while doing almost nothing for your actual performance. You just feel worse afterward.

Why Perfectionism Is on the Rise

I’m not alone in this. Research shows perfectionism is rising (Curran & Hill, 2017), especially among young people, and the leading theories mostly point a finger........

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