Perfectionism. The tendency to want everything to be perfect. Down to the littlest detail. It’s seen as a strange little quirk, even sometimes held up as something to be admired by well-meaning parents of impressionable children who want them to be a little more attentive.
But perfectionism can also result in some not so good things. Perfectionists can turn into procrastinators when their fear of imperfection overwhelms them and makes them terrified to even start because they may make mistakes or produce flawed work.
That’s not quite as picturesque as the image of binders filled with neat work and a desk organized to the tee. But it’s also a part of perfectionism – a need to be perfect and a fear of being imperfect.
The problem with perfectionism is that it’s an unattainable goal. No one is going to be perfect. As human beings, every single one of us is flawed in a great many ways. And that’s fine! It’s natural and there’s nothing shameful about it.
But perfectionism at its core is about seeing flaws and mistakes as things to be smoothed out and fixed. And that can be very dangerous because it’s impossible to completely wipe out either.
So, perfectionism? Not all it’s cracked up to be. By far.
The Imperfect Muslimah 