Perfectionism

“We don’t abandon our pursuits because we despair of ever perfecting them.” —EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 1.2.37b

As a recovering perfectionist, who still struggles much with the pursuit of perfecting the things I undertake, I don't think perfectionism is just bad, but also dangerous!

Perfectionism is a stumbling block to moving forward. It prevents a person from taking risks and changing the world. There is a fear that if what we are doing is not perfect then everyone won't like it. Guess what? Everyone won't like it no matter how perfect it is! I have to remind myself of that all the time. I fear to put my ideas or creations out into the world because I fear the challenges to those ideas. I believe the lie that challenges to my ideas will tarnish their perfection. A perfection they never had to begin with.

As a society, I think we struggle with perfection in this regard as well. Many people think, "If you aren't with me than you are against me." We create tribes and echo chambers to shelter ourselves from opposing views and beliefs. We put down, and demean, those we don't agree with. In reality, we are trying to make ourselves and our ideas perfect. We are trying to give them a perfection they will never have.

Let that go. Humble yourself. Put your ideas and creations into the world and risk the confrontation with them. Converse. Empathise. Listen. Challenge freely and with love. If you do these things your ideas and creations will still not be perfect, but they will be refined into something more perfect than what they started out.