Perfectionalism: The Negative Trait Of Perfectionism

The subject that perfectionism is a negative trait will be looked at in this essay. Some people believe that perfectionism is a beneficial trait and aids in keeping one's life in line. However, other people believe that perfectionism involves more downfalls than improvements. This is because the habit of perfectionism has many adverse effects, pertaining to both physical and mental, and impact a typical person's life fairly drastically.

Firstly, it becomes hard for an individual to appreciate perfect moments in life when they are perfectionists, as everything they do is put to such a high standard. This then makes them more prone to depression. Studies show that perfectionists tend to feel frustrated when they don't meet their goals and more often blame themselves when things go wrong rather than reward themselves after things go right, as it doesn't feel to them as if they've done 'well enough'. It feels as if they've settled for second best and are completely unsatisfied with themselves. Due to this, having a constant expectation to achieve the highest standard takes a toll on the mental state of an individual, and therefore defines perfectionism as a negative trait.

It has been linked to multiple ailments, such as migraines, chronic pain and and a higher chance of dying early. A study conducted by Pem Fry, a psychology professor at Trinity Western University in Canada, revealed that people who identified as perfectionists in a survey also had a 51% increased risk of death compared to those who took the survey and were not classified as perfectionists. This demonstrates that perfectionism results in a higher rate of death and gives a higher chance to result in physical defect. Perfectionism is damaging to the body and therefore is a negative