What is the difference between unhealthy perfectionism and wanting to do a task well?

Answer 1

With any task that has a "finite" level of perfection (the perfectly typed paper, the perfectly baked cookies, the perfectly installed rug as opposed to a painting, the shape of trimmed shrubbery, or having every, single, last, pine needle raked up from the lawn) there will always be people for whom completing the task perfectly is easy. There will also be people for whom completing that task perfectly will be a huge challenge.

So, when a very skilled person (at any task) decides to achieve perfection it is almost no challenge for that person, and it is nothing more than a decision to do the task well. When someone who has to struggle aims for perfection that is the same admirable decision to do the job well but must be balanced with how much time can be spent aiming for perfection that, for this person, is more difficult to achieve.

There are people, too, who generally find doing anything in life fairly easy. These people can be quite skilled at achieving perfection in any number of tasks they tackle. Sometimes it would take more work for this type of person to do something that wasn't perfect because it would go so against his/her nature it would just be too difficult to do.

For people who have to work a little harder to achieve perfection in any given task it does probably come down to the importance of achieving that perfection and the amount of time they have to spend.

I think the only time perfectionism is unhealthy is when a person who can't easily achieve perfection on a task decides to aim for it EVEN THOUGH ACHIEVING PERFECTION ON THAT PARTICULAR TASK IN THIS PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES IS NOT IMPORTANT.

Another way perfectionism can be unhealthy is when the person who tends to always do things right expects the same degree of perfection in absolutely everything everybody else does. Expecting perfection in the guy who installs your new front door is reasonable. Expecting it from the guy who serves you lunch in a restaurant may not be. People who expect red lights to turn green when they reach the intersection and who expect others to stay out of their way because they're in a hurry are expecting perfection in the world, and that isn't going to happen.

People who don't bother with aiming for perfection are people who don't realize that perfection in task completion can and does exist. People for whom reaching perfection on any task is too much of a challenge may need to believe perfection cannot be achieved on that task.

There is nothing unhealthy about the person who chooses to do a task well, whether or not he has to work a little more carefully or whether achieving perfection on that particular task is a piece-of-cake for him.

Maybe if people expect themselves to behave perfectly at all times and always make perfect choices and decisions and have the perfect thing to say in any situation that would be an unhealthy perfectionism because there is a difference between recognizing that perfection can be reached when completing tasks but it cannot be reached when it comes to living one's life or being a person.

Answer 2

I think the difference is the danger that with unhealthy perfectionism you are never really satisfied and may not do the job as well as you could if you had a realistic goal. The other danger of the former is that too much time can be wasted on seeking perfection and so other aspects of your work can suffer. An unhealthy perfectionism may also indicate some unresolved conflict or hurt in your life that needs some attention.

Answer 3

I believe what would be unhealthy perfectionism is when you don't care about your death lines, you always ask for more time to complete anything you do. And as much as the project extends, you don't get to be satisfied, and you feel bad about the results, eventhougt you have to move on. If that happens to you all the time, that's sick.
There is something else that is unhealthy perfectionism, in my point of view, if you don't care about your social life, your family, friends, girlfriend, boyfriend, in order to make your work or any activity you want to acomplish, that's unhealthy.
What is healty for me is to do your best, spending the time you haveto spend in that activity or project, that is fair for your self, your body, your family. So, if you are talking about work, if you spend more than 14 hours a day doing that job, i would say that can be unhealthy.

Answer 4

Good question!
Sometimes people say: "why do you want to make it perfect? You are such a perfectionist". This doesn't mean that doing things half or with defects is a good thing. So, what's the difference?
Psychologists distinguish self-oriented versus socially prescribed perfectionism. If perfectionism is socially prescribed then it’s much more possible to be unhealthy.

“…self-oriented perfectionism has been positively associated with resourcefulness (Flett, Hewitt, Blankstein, & O'Brien, 1991), positive affect (Frost, Heimberg, Holt, Mattia, & Neubauer, 1993), assertiveness and conscientiousness (Hill, McIntire, Bacharach, 1997), and intrinsic motivation (Mills & Blankstein, 2000)” (Klibert, Langhinrichsen-Rohling & Saito, 2005).

“ As hypothesized, all three adaptive variables (self-esteem, self-control, and achievement motivation) were negatively associated with socially prescribed perfectionism (Hewitt & Flett, 1991a). The significant negative associations between socially prescribed perfectionism and self-esteem and self-control replicate Flett et al.'s (1991) findings. Furthermore, socially prescribed perfectionism was significantly related to greater reports of depression, suicide proneness, anxiety, shame, and guilt. The current study's obtained associations between socially prescribed perfectionism and depression (Hewitt & Flett, 1991a), anxiety (Flett et al., 1995), and shame (Fee & Tangney, 2000) were consistent with previous findings" (Klibert, Langhinrichsen-Rohling & Saito, 2005).

Answer 5

It becomes unhealthy when you obsess over doing the task perfectly and you can not accept that you will make mistakes. Making mistakes is a normal occurance in our daily lives and if you are unable to accept that you will make them or be less than perfect, that's when there is an issue. Unrealistic thinking is not healthy. Yet there is nothing wrong with wanting to be the best at something, doing a task to the best of your ability and the like. As long as you keep in mind that this is your desire and not achieving it is perfectly acceptable.

Answer 6

well, it's even too hard for me to do any task (one of those bit complicated), I say it's unhealthy when there is a wish to be outstanding, to be one of a kind, and this motivation might push into do whatever it takes to make something totally different and new.

So on it's a issue to reduce stress, and do not idealise the goal,

Answer 7

Well, if the task at hand is solved and you are still messing with it . There is something wrong. You need to move on to the next task.

Answer 8

Who told you that perfection is
unhealthy. There is nothing wrong
in being perfect about anything.
Doing a half-baked job of anything
doesn't cut it.

Answer 9

If the need to do it well affects your health - then its unhealthy.