Our dangerous obsession with perfectionism is getting worse | Thomas Curran

Social psychologist Thomas Curran explores how the pressure to be perfect — in our social media feeds, in school, at work — is driving a rise in mental illness, especially among young people. Learn more about the causes of this phenomenon and how we can create a culture that celebrates the joys of imperfection.

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27 Comments on Our dangerous obsession with perfectionism is getting worse | Thomas Curran

    • dragon I’m used to listening to tapes…yes cassette tapes, so having a pic’ to look at is not the greatest. It can be distracting.

      I can’t count the number of times I read in the comments section
      ” His hair looks nice!” Or Her dress , ughhhh “

  1. I get this so much. I’m constantly hit with anxiety and depressing thoughts for small reasons like waking up later than I intended to or studying less than I’d planned or weighing more than I want to.
    I’ve unrealistic goals for myself on a daily basis.

  2. This speaks to me so much. I was in the hospital due to depression for 7 weeks. The reason: My perfectionism.
    Always telling myself: There is more I can do. I need to be better. I need to get everything right the first time I try. Flaws are bad. I want to be perfect. I scored an A in one of my presentations, but I forgot the page number so everything is bad about it and I don’t have the right to feel good.
    This was leading me to always be unhappy. Have high expectations of myself I could never ever meet. Was letting me think I was a total looser, when in fact, I was doing well. And even when everything was going well, I felt like ending everything.
    Perfectionism is indeed a horrible thing, when taking way too far.

  3. This seems to be one of the pitfalls of social media, perfection is able to be posed online. Taking advantage of the insecurities of adolescents, by seeing only the positives in others lives. “They live such an amazing live” “They must be able to do so much more with their life” What social media fails to capture is the struggle that goes along with the prosperous moments of life. The moments where hard work is required, and how not everything comes easy. No one is perfect and that is okay!

  4. It’s good to see people are researching things that actually matter. I have been struggling with perfectionism and this opened my third eye. Thank you.

  5. I feel it’s healthier to strive to be the best person I can be. I don’t measure my success against that of others. I’m happy.

  6. The Boomers in their economic boom were telling generations after them that excellence would gain them success, but success would elude them even as they became good at their craft.

    Thus perfectionism became rampant with pursuits of an economic promise that will never come.

    “I’m not competent yet, if I perfect myself and craft I’ll break even. I must surpass those ahead of me and not even they are perfect, they haven’t even found success in their lives yet….yet.”

  7. Therapy techniques that do not integrate mind and body will NEVER reach the root of perfectionism for the individual.

    Trying to alter greater culture/society is moot. There is a biological component.

    Thousands hacking at branches…

  8. I absolutely loved & enjoyed this ted talk. Perfectionism like he said is a major problem and we need to help young people. I think we need to focus and be comfortable with doing our best than striving to be perfect. We are doing fine. ✨

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