Perfectionism: A Burden in Disguise

There's a saying that the devil is hiding in the details, and there's truth to it. Oftentimes, it's the details that can ruin a perfect summer night or a whole vacation. You have to be a perfectionist to notice the details "all the time"... I am that type of person, and believe me, it comes with its pitfalls.

I've been a perfectionist for as long as I can remember, and while some believe this could be good for self-improvement, it couldn't be farther from the truth. Let me tell you why.

Some individuals believe that perfectionists are high achievers and that the most successful people on the planet are perfectionists to the core. That's not entirely true when perfectionism becomes a burden. Let me give you some examples of how this thing can be a pain in the ass sometimes.

If I showed you my car, at first glance, you wouldn't see anything wrong with it. Though it's a 20-year-old "wreck," its interior looks almost brand new. The exterior is a bit messy, but it's mostly messy in my eyes. Others don't see it and are not disturbed by such imperfections, even if their cars suffer from the same disease.

I can spot paint imperfections and asymmetry between the upper side of the wheel and the fenders between the front and rear wheels from a distance, and I can do that on other cars as well. It's things that regular people don't see, not because they have poor eyesight but rather because they don't care about such imperfections.

I have an eye for detail, and it sucks. Let me give you another example. A couple of months ago, when I visited my parents in Austria, I was gifted a new phone, a brand new iPhone 15 PRO, my first ever iPhone. I was really surprised by the gift, and to be honest, at first glance, it looked almost perfect.

A few seconds later, I realized that the camera bumps are huge. Then, when it comes to UX, I really don't get why anyone would put the back button on a smartphone in the left upper corner of the phone; that's mind-boggling. Plus, you can't deactivate the shutter sound for the camera, and the phone is so slippery.

I had to buy a case for it, and I also installed a screen protector. I already have three cases; none is perfect. The transparent one is too thin for proper protection and collects too many smudges, the UAG rugged one is too bulky for the protection it offers, and the matte black one, although fitting well in the palm, is too matte.

I have so far installed three screen protectors on this phone, and not even the third one feels perfect. Tell me, how on earth is being a perfectionist a good thing?

I sometimes have ten ideas written on a piece of paper before I actually get to writing the post for Hive, and that's not productive for me. I would like to change, honestly, and care less about details because I see people who do that and are more content with their lives and happier with themselves.

Meanwhile, I've screwed up relationships, business opportunities, and beautiful moments because of this burden. I don't know about you, but I don't see perfectionism as a quality. Laziness is probably superior to it because most of the good stuff that was invented for us was done by lazy people, folks who wanted to have a more comfortable and easy-to-handle life.

Perfectionists often see trouble where it actually isn't and miss out on some really nice stuff just because that stuff is not perfect (according to their norms, of course). So, if you ever feel like envying anyone for being such a perfectionist, remember what I wrote here—it's not worth it.

Thanks for your attention,
Adrian