Can you be too perfect? Unveiling the signs of maladaptive perfectionism

Can you be too perfect? Unveiling the signs of maladaptive perfectionism

“Maladaptive perfectionism is the belief that something is broken — you. So, you dress up your brokenness with degrees, achievements, accolades, and pieces of paper, none of which can fix what you think you are fixing,” Shweta Misra, a Dubai-based clinical psychologist at Aspris Wellness Center explains. It is a personality trait, or a pattern of behaviour, characterised by relentless striving for extremely high standards. It could be for themselves and others, as she says. “It is associated with poor adjustment, heightened anxiety sensitivity, lower self-esteem, increased self-criticism, depression and decreased satisfaction with life,” she says.

Maladaptive perfectionism is the belief that something is broken — you. So, you dress up your brokenness with degrees, achievements, accolades, and pieces of paper, none of which can fix what you think you are fixing...

- Shweta Misra, Aspris Wellness Center, Dubai



Worse, the judgement of a person’s self-worth is based on their ability to strive for, and work towards unrelenting standards for themselves, she adds. This can bring a huge cost to their well-being: The maladaptive perfectionists are never good enough in their own minds.

Healthy perfectionism vs maladaptive

The belief and drive for perfection compels you to persist, regardless of the personal