what even is perfectionism??

Most people live their lives in between these 2 emotions-

1. Hope that if they achieve something, they will find happiness.

2. Fear that if they lose what they have, they will never be happy.

The day you understand neither of them are actually true is the day you are free.

How many dreams are abandoned for fear of looking stupid in the eyes of those who never think about us at all

Often when people are stuck in life it’s because they’re holding out for the delusional possibility of a costless way of getting what they want, instead of just paying the cost

Dear Future Self,

I'm no longer trying to become you.

Not because I've given up,

But because I finally understand:

You emerge from how gently I hold this moment,

Not from how fiercely I chase the next one.

This line from David Foster Wallace still haunts me:

“The next suitable person you’re in light conversation with, you stop suddenly in the middle of the conversation and look at the person closely and say, “What’s wrong?” You say it in a concerned way. He’ll say, “What do you mean?” You say, “Something’s wrong. I can tell. What is it?”

And he’ll loo

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That moment when you realize your perfectionism isn't really about excellence - it's about control.

If I can just make this thing perfect enough, I can control how people respond to it, how I feel about myself, what happens next.

But perfectionism actually prevents the very thing it promises: the satisfaction of creating something real and letting ... See more

I have known many people who spent years in analysis and emerged with a detailed understanding of their major psychodynamics, yet experienced what they uncovered as shameful admissions rather than as expressions of their essential humanity in all its ordinary depravity and virtue