Perfectionism

Perfectionism, in psychology, is an ego self-defense mechanism. When pathological, it is a form of procrastination when it is used to postpone tasks ("I can't start my project until I know the 'right' way to do it."), and a form of self-depreciation when it is used to excuse poor performance or to seek sympathy and affirmation from other people ("I can't believe I don't know how to reach my own goals. I must be stupid; how else could I not be able to do this?"). It is a common myth that perfectionists, especially very talented ones, have the capacity to excel far more than ordinary individuals. The reality is that perfectionism causes high stress and is often marked by low productivity as individuals lose time and energy on small irrelevent details of larger projects or mundane daily activities. Perfectionists will often mask their low productivity by sacrificing family and social activities in the quest for their impossible goals. Without psychological assistance, a perfectionist's behavior and negative attitude toward him or herself can lead to problems such as drug abuse and self-harm.