Perfectionism is not a pathology
If there is such a thing as human perfection, it seems to emerge precisely from how we handle the imperfection that is everywhere, especially our own. – Richard Rohr
I have a working theory that the anxiety I feel is actually a massive amount of positive energy.
It just feels uncomfortable because I haven’t learned how to channel that much energy yet.
When I’ve been able to let it flow freely, my whole body fills with bliss.
I believe that our creativity grows like sidewalk weeds out of the cracks between our pathologies—not from the pathologies themselves. But so many people think it’s the other way around. For this reason, you will often meet artists who deliberately cling to their suffering, their addictions, their fears, their demons. They worry that if they ever l
... See moreElizabeth Gilbert • Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
Most of my clients, and the parents of gifted children that I address at workshops and seminars, reveal that they are perfectionists. My first task is to help them see their perfectionism as a strength instead of as a weakness. I share with them the strong linkage between perfectionism and giftedness, and explain that it comes with the territory of
... See moreDr. Linda Silverman • Perfectionism: the Crucible of Giftedness
In actuality, perfectionism must be seen as a potent force capable of bringing intense pain, frustration and paralysis, or incredible satisfaction and creative contribution, depending upon how it is channeled. It has the potential to lead to professional fulfillment and spiritual development, but if the energy is diverted by self-doubt and lack of
... See moreDr. Linda Silverman • Perfectionism: the Crucible of Giftedness
Trying to get rid of your perfectionism is like trying to get rid of the wind by whacking it with a broom. Perfectionism is too powerful for an eradication approach. When you try to get rid of your perfectionism, all you’re doing is hemorrhaging energy at the opportunity cost of attending to your wellness.
Katherine Morgan Schafler • The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control
perfection is an abstract concept. It takes an abstract mind to grasp its meaning and to cherish a vision that does not exist in the concrete world. Facility with abstraction is the sine qua non of giftedness; this quality differentiates the gifted from others throughout the lifespan.
Dr. Linda Silverman • Perfectionism: the Crucible of Giftedness
Operating under an illness model of care doesn’t just carry powerful implications for the way we conceptualize perfectionism, it impacts the way we conceptualize every aspect of mental health. The slightest pang of sadness, a drizzle of frustration—we register any decline in positive emotion with an assumption of pathology. It’s a cultural tic. The
... See moreKatherine Morgan Schafler • The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control
In Maslow’s prescription for self-actualization, he invites counselors to encourage what others might discourage: perfectionistic zeal.
Dr. Linda Silverman • Perfectionism: the Crucible of Giftedness
procrastination is not a character defect; rather, it is an attempt—albeit an unsatisfactory one—at coping with the often incapacitating fear of having our worth held up for judgment.