And, up until the moment I send it, I will be worried that something will be slightly off, or factually incorrect, or just poorly worded, and I’ll have proven myself to be bad at my job and totally irredeemable and I’ll be shipped off to live on a farm or something. But my perfectionism shows up in other ways: I can get really upset if a friend or partner makes a small, legitimate criticism, like, “Why did you leave the air-conditioner running for hours in a room you weren’t in?” I’ll get really panicked and ashamed and defensive. One of the psychologists I interviewed talks about how important it is for perfectionist patients to let their “messy, imperfect selves” into the room during therapy—and I think that’s the invitation I’d like readers to take away from the piece.
Author: Caroline Mimbs Nyce
Published at: 2025-08-05 22:55:10
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