In most cases, people should pursue excellence over perfectionism, as perfectionism causes a fear of failure and can inhibit action and growth. However, there are certain instances where perfectionism is necessary. Perfection should be sought in certain work environments, like life-saving work and product design. Perfectionism is very nuanced and has several different approaches; everyone has different standards for perfection. Like most things in life, it is best sought after with moderation. This essay will explore the duality of perfectionism and its application in different contexts, offering an unbiased, comprehensive look at its benefits and pitfalls.
Perfectionism often stunts action. In his book Discipline is Destiny, Ryan Holiday writes that another way to spell “perfectionism” is to spell “paralysis.” This idea holds in most cases. It’s an objective truth that perfectionists are afraid of failure–it goes against the very nature of perfection. Perfectionists avoid taking risks and stick to what is safe. However, failure is an opportunity to learn. Sometimes, learning can only be attained through trial and error, rather than through rote memorization of concepts. Learning from mistakes increases performance and catalyzes new growth. Taking risks is what makes people successful–the courage to try new things and introduce new ideas into the world. As perfectionists tend to be high-achieving individuals with big goals, learning to embrace failure will help them reach their academic and personal aspirations. In line with this approach, people should strive for excellence, not perfection, unless they can separate perfection from failure. If so, perfection should be viewed as a destination, not a process. Failure is a necessary step to perfection and excellence. People should do their best in areas where they seek perfection, but they shouldn’t limit their actions to the fear of not being perfect.
While perfection should not always be sought after in personal and academic goals, perfection is necessary in certain workplace settings. In industries that require life-saving work, like the medical field, fire control, medical technology production, etc., perfection is vital. Mistakes can result in the loss of life or injury, which is always unacceptable.
Additionally, perfection has been the hallmark of many highly successful companies. When creating Apple with his partner, Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs was committed to perfection when designing the iPhone. He insisted on perfecting each tiny detail of the device: the perfect shade of white, the perfect screen material, and the perfect interface. Because of his high standards, he was often frustrated and angry with those around him who didn’t share his vision. He was described by his peers as demanding, mercurial, and harsh. However, this commitment to perfection yielded results. Apple has become an icon worldwide, changing the field of technology forever and becoming one of the most highly profitable businesses in the world. Elon Musk has been reported to have similar standards of perfection. However, these innovators weren’t afraid of failure. To create the perfect product, failure is necessary; it is essential to fail to learn and improve on designs. Musk produced failed rocket after failed rocket. But he didn’t sit in this misery and quit. Instead, he told his team they needed to “fail fast” to quickly learn from mistakes and improve on the next design. Failure is just a necessary step on the ladder to achieve success and perfection. Perfection should be sought after in the result, not the process, in those looking for big results.
Allocate your perfectionism. Some work should be perfect, others should not. When doing the dishes, you shouldn’t spend half an hour trying to get the perfect tetris of plates to maximize efficiency. However, in other projects such as a school science project, a research paper, etc., one should strive for perfection in the end result.
If we can find a way to separate perfectionism from its negative qualities, it would be great. Many highly successful people describe themselves as perfectionists. In an interview, Martha Stewart talked about how her perfectionism significantly contributed to her success. Successful people are relentlessly committed to producing good work, and often it requires a few iterations to achieve the perfect design. Again, failure is a part of the road to perfection. Those seeking extraordinary results should commit themselves to perfection with this knowledge. Edison failed 10,000 times to make the lightbulb, but his result was nearly perfect. History has shown that dedication to achieving perfect results pays off in individuals who can skirt the pitfalls of this ideal.
Most parents tell their kids they can never be the best: there will always be someone better than them. Steve Jobs once said: “Those who are crazy enough to believe they can change the world are the ones that do.” When we say that we will never be at the top of our craft, that creates limiting beliefs that affect our actions. Henry Ford said: “Whether you can or can’t, you’re right.” You will perform how you think you can perform. This is similar to the placebo effect, where the brain can be artificially tricked into changing action without conscious thought. This is not to say that parents should tell their children to “be perfect”; rather, they should empower and inspire their children by telling them they can achieve great things while being realistic about the possibility and lessons of failure.
This invites the question: what is the tipping point for perfection? Setting unrealistic goals can be demoralizing and immobilize growth. But having low standards and being ambivalent about your results is unproductive as well. This balance is different in everyone and must be discovered through heuristic measures and experimentation. Pressure can turn you into a diamond or can cause you to shatter into a million pieces. Find the “perfect” amount of pressure to turn you into a treasure of wealth. But what does perfection even mean? What does it even look like to be perfect?
Perfection is described by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “the condition, state, or quality of being free or as free as possible from all flaws or defects.” But anything could always be better. There is nothing in this world that is perfect, except for Christianity’s Christ. While the iPhone is amazing, it could be better. In 20 years, people will view the iPhone as an obsolete, inefficient device.
Similarly, aqueducts during the Roman times were described as nearly perfect by their contemporaries. But now we have water that flows through pipes that travel under the ground, instantly giving us temperature-controlled water at the turn of a handle. There will always be something that is even more perfected and advanced and exceeds the results of earlier innovations. With these standards, perfection is impossible. Nothing will ever please everyone, and any results could always be better. One could argue that we are in a continual race to perfection–innovating in new ways and slowly making things better. This is taking one step closer to infinity, but closer nonetheless. In the context of this essay, I have defined perfectionism as producing the best possible results with the materials handy. (This is similar to Webster’s definition, but not entirely the same.) However, perfectionism is a vague concept with a seemingly subjective definition.
Finally, Christianity offers another idea of perfection. Christians are called to be perfect, just as Christ is perfect. The Bible talks about how man was created in God’s image, and should therefore do his best to reflect God. Yet, because of the fall, perfection is impossible. Sin makes perfection an impossibility, yet we nevertheless are called to pursue this unreachable ideal. Jesus fills in the gap between man’s deficiencies and perfection through his death on the cross–our weaknesses are made perfect through his sacrifice.
In conclusion, perfectionism is a nuanced idea that applies differently to different contexts. Just like any other virtue, it is important and serves its purpose. We should not completely embrace or reject perfectionism–it is a meeting in the middle that is most beneficial.
