Written by : Madam Kemelia binti Omar

 

What is a ‘perfectionist?’ ‘Perfectionist’ is a constant drive in a person to achieve perfection in his life in work, family and education. 

‘Perfectionist’ individuals often want to give a good image to everyone and want everything to run smoothly and well without any problems. They also have very high ‘standards’ and quality of work so they tend to do unnecessary things and take a long time to complete the assignments.

There is often a misconception about ‘Perfectionist’. Many people think that the attitude of a person who is "perfectionist" as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), while there is a difference between the two.

OCD is a mental illness that has two main components, namely obsessive (thought) and compulsive (action). Individuals with OCD often have irrational thoughts such as repetitive images or ideas, which are unwanted and can cause anxiety and worry. Thoughts that are often distracting to the point of causing them to perform repetitive actions as a move to distract.

 

To understand it, here are the differences between ‘perfectionist’ and OCD:

 

1. Ability level

• OCD individuals do not have the ability to stop repetitive habits and thoughts.
• On the other hand, the ‘perfectionist’ does a repetitive behavior just to satisfy himself and can still be controlled.

 

2. The purpose of doing something is a habit

• OCD individuals engage in repetitive habits in order to relieve the anxiety and obsession that is being felt.
• On the other hand, ‘perfectionists’ do things in a more directed and detailed manner as a way to increase efficiency and perfection.

 

3. Productivity

• The productivity effects of OCD individuals will further decline as their habits can hinder daily activities.
• Meanwhile, the productivity effect of ‘perfectionist’ individuals is more productive because they always want the perfection of something more than usual.

 

Perfectionist’ can cause a person to become OCD if not controlled. A person who is too craving for perfection actually has early signs of OCD when a task is considered “imperfect” and begins to cause restlessness and worry.

 

While it is possible that some of us enjoy being called a "perfect" person, the fact is that the pursuit of perfection can result in the individual often blaming themselves when the results of their assignments are considered "less than perfect".

 

Therefore, these individuals are advised not to set goals that are too extreme so as to cause them to experience feelings of anxiety, high stress, insomnia and various negative emotions just to make sure everything goes perfectly.

 

Date of Input: 15/12/2021 | Updated: 15/12/2021 | anis_akmil