The Art of Perfection--Samantha

When I google the word Perfection the Oxford dictionary defines it as, “the condition,
state, or quality of being free or as free as possible from all flaws or defects.” As a human, can this definition of perfection ever be achieved? When people strive towards perfection, what can they ever achieve? Throughout my high school career, I’ve set unrealistic standards on my schoolwork and my appearance to achieve this art of perfection. In this process, I’ve set goals that didn’t match who I am as an individual, only to achieve a lower self esteem and grades. Now, as a senior in high school, I’ve learned that the denotative idea of perfection is neither attainable nor it is any condition that makes us humans flawless; however it is the unrealistic view and standards we put on ourselves and others only to achieve negative outcomes. 

As I started to self-reflect on the effects perfection had on me, I wanted to know how this abstract idea affects others. In a study done by psychologist Thomas Curran at the University of Bath in the UK and Andrew P. Hill from York St John University, forty-thousand American, British, and Canadian students completed the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, to determine which degree of perfection the students categorize in self-oriented, socially prescribed, or other oriented perfectionists. According to the CNN article, “The problem with pursuing perfection” Ben Tinker explains the different types of perfection as studied by Curran and Hill.

The self-oriented perfectionists attach irrational expectations for themselves and are critical in their self evaluations. In contrast to perfectionists view of themselves, the socially prescribed feel perceived by society, and thus believe they must portray perfection for acceptance. The other self-oriented holds perfection standards towards those around them, judging those critically. Regardless of the type of perfectionist one is, they create antagonism towards themselves or others, through judging different aspects of their lives, like grades, appearance, and lifestyle. According to the study, from 1989 to 2016 the three types of perfectionism increased particularly in the socially prescribed degree, “which went up to 33%” due to “more individualistic, materialistic, and socially antagonistic” growing number of individuals. (Tinker). This statistic shows that a large part of our society is aiming for a flawless depiction of themselves, only to achieve a hostile environment, fearing judgement from others, and giving judgment in return. Perfectionists also compare themselves through a screen. Through the social media platform, these individuals have easy access to criticize others flaws and compare themselves. Instead of accomplishing the riddance of flaws, social media perfectionists attain detrimental effects on their mental health. According to the CNN article, “Instagram is the worst app for your mental health” by Cara Fox, in a study called #StatusofMind by the Royal Society for Public Health in the UK, 1,500 people aged 14 to 24 were surveyed on how social media affects issues such as depression, anxiety, self-identity and body image. The results found that platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and Twitter perform negative effects on the individual's mental health, with Instagram in the lead. Based on the consensus, Matt Keracher author of the report, states that Instagram lures individuals to "compare themselves against unrealistic, largely curated, filtered and Photoshopped versions of reality.”(Fox). By social media such as Instagram

being an easy access to covering up imperfections, the denotative perfection is still not achieved as it acts as only a mere illusion one is flawless. The #StatusofMind report also shows that while aiming for perfection, negative effects on mental health such as depression and anxiety are ultimately achieved, instead of the condition of being flawless.
Due to the pressures of being seniors in high school, some of us are driven towards fulfilling this abstract idea of perfection by aiming for flawless college applications, grades, and extracurriculars. However, from the #StatusofMind and Multi-Dimensional Perfection scale studies, I’ve learned that the denotative idea of perfection, the condition of being “flawless,” is highly unrealistic and the abstract idea instead of flawlessness, achieves negative outcomes on one’s mental health and atmosphere. Relating the studies to my experience with perfectionism, I’ve set standards for myself that didn’t coincide with who I am as an individual by constantly comparing my schoolwork and appearance to others, only to result in lower grades, self-esteem, and a negative environment. But when I look back on my achievements, I realize I completed none of them flawlessly. I was myself and did my best, leaving me with a feeling of fulfillment, success, and higher self-esteem. While I believe perfection is unrealistic and attains negative effects, I now can see that being my best self is what can be achieved. Because doing my best may be the reality of someone else’s perfection, that is perfectly enough. 

Works Cited
Fox, Cara. “Instagram worst app for young people’s mental health.” CNN Health, C NN, 19 May
2017,
https://www.cnn.com/2017/05/19/health/instagram-worst-social-network-app-young-peo

ple-mental-health/index.html . Date Accessed 21 Sept 2019.

 

“Perfection: Definition of Perfection by Lexico.” Lexico Dictionaries English, L exico
Dictionaries, https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/perfection. Date Accessed 21 Sept. 2019. 

Tinker, Ben. “The problem with pursuing perfection.” CNN Health, CNN, 9 Jan. 2018, https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/09/health/perfection-mental-health-study-intl/index.html. Date Accessed 21 Sept. 2019.