I'm posting this in the Philosophy and Religion forum because I'm looking for some good, interesting, well-thought of replies. Here we go:
I'm a bit of a perfectionist. I'm generally never satisfied with something I do, even if I try to improve it quite a few times. The end result is that generally whatever I'm trying to do/make ends up being pretty good (based on the limits of how well I can do it... for instance, my satisfaction levels for PHP-based design are pretty low because I'm a PHP Novice). However, sometimes, it just leaves me feeling a little frustrated/unhappy, and sometimes, causes me to lose interest in the project.
My question is...
How do you view perfectionism?
Do you think it's good because it makes you keep improving something?
Do you think it's bad because a highly perfectionist person may never really be satisfied with the end result?
I guess I'm a bit of a perfectionist, and don't mind admitting it.
Although it is postive because it means I improve on something whatever I do, in the end this doesn't matter because I'm never happy with the end product, even if other people think it's a good thing.
However, this doesn't usually make me lose interest in whatever I'm trying to achieve perfection in (ie. Just about everything).
An example is a premodded forum which I have been creating for over half a year. It has been ready so many times I've almost lost count, but then I decide that it's actually not good enough for me to release even when people like it.
I guess therefore losing interest because your striving for perfection which cannot be achieved is dependant on the person, and not if you are in fact a perfectionist, or not. I'm the kind of perfectionist that rarely gives up, causing me to have a lot of projects which last longer to complete until i'm finally ok with the final project, which again rarely happens.
That's what I do with my time. 
I'm a happier person for investing in the process towards perfection. If I feel like i'm constantly improving, whether its towards an end for perfection or not, i'm always happy.
Perfectionism can be a double edge sword. If it makes you strive to be better then it's done a good thing. But if it makes you loose interest because you can't do it as well as you think you should, then it's been bad.
I realize that that comment simplifies it some, but it's true. I can be a perfectionist in some things but not in others. PHP is as good an example as any. I know I can learn it, and I do keep trying, but I'll get frustrated and leave it alone for a while and go back to it later. For some reason, that sensor in my brain that says "That's it," hasn't clicked yet, but it will. lol And since patience with myself isn't one of my strong points, it gets aggrevating sometimes when I have a hard time learning some things that I feel I should pick up easily.
Even if you are a perfectionist, don't forget that you are allowed to make mistakes just like everyone else.
Perfectionism is a characteristic that rewards us with detail and accuracy at the cost of speed. Whether it's good or not depends on what you're doing.
But the obvious aspects aside...
Are you a perfectionist because it makes you happy or because you think it will make society around you happy? If you were stuck on an island, would you care to be as perfect? If being a perfectionist makes you, and only you, happy, then yes, it's a good quality in you. If not, then you're just helping your hair gray faster.
P.S.: I'm a lazy perfectionist and enjoying every moment of it. Woohoo.
I think that the hunt is more fun than the kill, that is to say that we strive for perfection, but nobody actually wants to obtain it, because if we obtain perfection there's no point to life.
| Soulfire wrote: |
| I think that the hunt is more fun than the kill, that is to say that we strive for perfection, but nobody actually wants to obtain it, because if we obtain perfection there's no point to life. |
You know what?
That's a brilliant point.
I quite agree with you.
The problem with perfection is that once you think you've achieved it, there's nothing more to add, nothing more to do.
Note that I used the term "once you think you've achieved it", because personally, I think the idea of perfection is very subjective.I'd have to disagree with you there. From what I see of life, the goal of any and all human toil is contentment. When you get right down to it, even unselfish acts lead, subconsciously, to one's own contentment. Contentment, and not perfection or even competence, is the ultimate prize of any job, and perfectionism is the direct opposition of that goal. To be content is to be happy. To be a perfectionist is to never be content and to never be content is to never be truly happy. Perfection is not the state of being unimprovable, because that is, arguably, a rational impossibility. Perfection as it should be interpreted, is merely the state where one does not feel the need to observe the faults of the thing. It's kind of late right now, so I'll come back and edit this all into coherence in the morning, if I remember, but I'll just say that perfectionism is pretty bad for you.
I would say perfectionism is good. But not to the point of obsession. I myself is also a perfectionist. I strive to build the ultimate website, but each time I just feel it ain't good enough, I have to relaunch a new webpage, I need a better design. Though we strive all we might towards perfection, but understand that nothing in this world is perfect, and therefore we will not stop improving.
But should we get obsessed over getting perfect results and being perfect, then I think we might be overdo-ing it. It could cost us our lives. 
The bottom line is, you are who you are, just don't overdo yourself. It's not wrong to be a perfectionist, neither is it bad. Looks like everyone pretty much sums it up as perfectionism is good in that you constantly strive to improve, but it's bad if it just drives you crazy if you are never happy with your results.
I have a strange kind of perfectionism, I'm constantly trying to improve my knowledge base. I like learning new things and applying them. I have a list of the things I want to learn from languages to permaculture design to welding. All these things take time and in the mean time I'm still improving on the things I'm learning now like web design (always something new to learn) and programing.
It keeps me busy and I have a pretty eclectic knowledge base. Someone wrote a book about pole like me and coined the term scanners (I guess she never watched cheesy '70s horror flicks). I guess I prefer the old term Jack of all trades.
Perfectionism is self-inflicted pedantism.
I think of it as the art of placing a deliberate mistake in the weave of a rug because only Allah is perfect. 
pedant – noun
1. a person who makes an excessive or inappropriate display of learning.
2. a person who overemphasizes rules or minor details.
3. a person who adheres rigidly to book knowledge without regard to common sense.
Source : www.dictionary.com
I totally disagree with GSIS. Don't throw in your own religion here. Even Allah is not perfect I'm sure. Nothing is. Period.
Perfectionist DOES NOT make excessive or inappropriate display of learning, nor do they overemphasize rules or minor details. We merely wish to make the detail better and follow a certain set of rule strictly in order to achieve self-discipline for perfection.
We do not just adhere rigidly to book knowledge, we twist and use them as we please. We use our common sense, we bend things and make them perfect. That's the art. To make things better. Perfectionism. I agree with JinTenshi
Perfectionists are not pedantic.
They don't look only at the minor details.
Probably, no perfectionist is a complete perfectionist.
Besides, something can be perfect if it does something in an extremely suitable manner, irrespective of how imperfect it looks, etc etc.
Funny how I started a topic on this in the Dutch forums without knowing this one existed. Unfortunately it didn't really catch on (so yes I am taking this opportunity to advertize 
)
Perfectionism turns out to be a lot more problematic as suggested here, when it comes to cooperation with other people. | Arnie wrote: |
Funny how I started a topic on this in the Dutch forums without knowing this one existed. Unfortunately it didn't really catch on (so yes I am taking this opportunity to advertize )
Perfectionism turns out to be a lot more problematic as suggested here, when it comes to cooperation with other people. |
Indeed, sometimes we want something so badly to be perfect, to be done in the way we wish it to, it does wear out other people's patience. Cooperation could be quite hard to achieve.To me perfection is perhaps a subjective term whereas flawless is not.
For something to be perfect, it has to be perfect for you. Flaws may be present, but that is a part of what makes it perfect for you. Such as personality quirks in a person that you find cute. It would be hard to elaborate on that.
Flawlessness is much more simple to define in theory, but perhaps harder to achieve in practice. For something to be flawless it must do what is intended of it without possible fault or concession.
That's my take on it anyway.
The idea of perfection I got from reading Count Monte Kristo....he was the closest thing to being the perfect man ever!
Perfection is the ultimate goal...which will never be reached. not In A life-span of a simple human.
But no matter how pointless it is, I'm going to try 
I mean fighting is sometime pointless or hopeless, but you don't see people giving up do you?
"Life's about a journey not the destination".
