I’m a perfectionist, even though books like Overcoming Perfectionism and Perfecting Ourselves to Death tell me I should stop trying to be one. As a psychologist specializing in obsessive compulsive disorder, I have even worked with patients specifically on giving up perfectionism. But I have come to realize that negative views of perfectionism don’t ring true to them, or to me. In fact, I now consider perfectionism to be one of my most valuable attributes.
Perfectionism: Healthy or Hurtful?
Todd Pearson/Getty Images I’m a perfectionist, even though books like Overcoming Perfectionism and Perfecting Ourselves to Death tell me I should stop trying to be one. As a psychologist specializing in obsessive compulsive disorder, I have even worked with patients specifically on giving up perfectionism. But I have come to realize that negative views of […]
October 03, 2011
For HBR Subscribers
Don’t Be a Perfectionist
Smart, ambitious professionals can get derailed by too-high standards. These articles will help you pause and reset your expectations—and work with someone who can’t.
Show Reading List