With the pressures of today and self-imposed limitations we place upon ourselves competitiveness has never been more apparent in the workplace or society. Reality TV shows pinpoint contestants against one another causing conflict, controversy and an unhealthy pursuit of ‘’winning the game at all costs”. The pursuit of perfection can sometimes lead to our downfall, perfectionists often have a greater fear of asking for help than others.
There is nothing wrong with striving for high standards, but self-blame and criticism of ambitions when not achieved can be detrimental to feelings of unworthiness, failing to achieve goals. Conversely appearances can be effected, the images of celebrities / models in magazines are often airbrushed to the point where they don’t even look like the same person. An obsession with being the best can sometimes sabotage true levels of success, as unhealthy perfectionism can lead people into procrastination – taking longer to complete tasks and refusing to do something if there is an element of doubt that it can’t be done to their ‘standard’. Long term damaging results can lead to low self-esteem, moodiness and eating disorders. Harsh criticism is not the optimal way of achieving the best in someone or yourself, after all we all make mistakes and nobody is perfect!