what even is perfectionism??

boy, this single word sure does mean a lot of things to a lot of people, huh?

Excellence emerges from intimacy with imperfection

Laura Cincera • Tweet

my working definition of perfectionism is that it's the pathological need to be perceived as both special and exceptional, because you learned that love and acceptance are conditional on being perceived that way

Regina Rosenfeld • Tweet

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.

Joe Hudson • Tweet

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

Robert Reich • Dylan O'Sullivan on Substack

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

Sasha Chapin x.com

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.

Su 🚀 • Tweet

Anu Atluru • Rob Hardy on Substack

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