Why Perfectionism and Burnout Go Hand in Hand
Perfectionism is often viewed as a virtue, especially in the workplace, but research shows that self-evident pressure works flawlessly but ultimately leads to burnout. Perfection is not how you should measure success.
This post was originally published in The Conversation .
It was Voltaire who said: “The perfect is the enemy of the good” – and he should know. A fierce critic of existential perfection, Voltaire spent most of his working life criticizing the notion of a world filled with impeccable divinity.
In his most influential work, Candide, Voltaire describes Professor Pangloss, a devoted follower of Leibniz’s optimism , the philosophy that God created “the best of all possible worlds.” Candide, a confused student of Pangloss, often tries to reconcile his mentor’s moral imperfection with the idea of an optimal world, but ultimately becomes desperate. It is only through these failures that Candide is painfully cured of his obsession with perfection.
Fast forward a couple of centuries, and the lessons learned by Candide remain relevant today. We live in a world where the pursuit of excellence reigns. From the playground to school, in the office and anywhere else; impeccable performance is the pinnacle – the very definition of success for many. However, as Candide discovered, there is an inherent flaw in this logic. For perfection is a standard that cannot be achieved and ultimately brings everything but suffering to those who try.
Common fears
As psychologists, we have been fascinated by the effects of perfectionism, a personality trait of overly high personal standards and harsh self-criticism. This is a common trait, and it’s likely that you know someone who has it: a coworker overwhelmed by the fear of making a mistake, a teammate who is overly self-critical due to poor grades, or a child brooding about missing school deadlines. … These are all defining characteristics of the perfectionist.
We recently conducted research that showed that perfectionism is closely related to burnout. Burnout is a chronic stress syndrome that manifests itself as extreme fatigue, decreased academic performance and, ultimately, withdrawal.
What was interesting about our analysis was that the shy thoughts and feelings underlying perfectionism, associated with fears of imperfection and error, had a moderate to significant positive effect on burnout rates. Even more interesting, this relationship was particularly strong in the workplace when compared to sports and education.
Our analysis did not reveal why perfectionism is particularly problematic at work, but there are a number of possibilities. Operation is usually performance-oriented, and low performance entails significant overhead, which in the worst case leads to redundancy . When perfectionism serves such pressures, performance rather than motivation is more likely to act as triggers for severe stress, exacerbating the fear of failure that is central to the link between perfectionism and burnout.
Feeling trapped at work
Another explanation for the close relationship between work perfectionism and burnout is that employees can sometimes feel trapped. This is especially true during an economic downturn, when opportunities to change jobs or careers are limited . This inability to get away from an increasingly stressful work environment that is no longer enjoyable is more likely to lead to burnout perfectionists.
It is important to recognize that our findings on the relationship between perfectionism and burnout highlight a broader consensus. That is, perfectionism is in many ways a destructive trait, and its consequences must be fought. Many perfectionists are chronically shy, fearful, and self-styled.
Therefore, organizations must clearly understand that excellence is not a criterion for success. On the contrary, diligence, flexibility and perseverance are much better qualities than perfectionism. Google has taken a bold step to reward failure in an effort to remove fears that get in the way of work, and this could very well prove to be extremely productive: not only for innovation, but also for the well-being of employees.
In addition, since the pursuit of perfection is irrational and harmful, more realistic (but nonetheless challenging) goals are recommended. These goals will inevitably be lower than the perfectionists would like, but perfectionists need to be protected from themselves. Otherwise, workaholism awaits, burnout – and even worse.
As a society, we tend to view perfectionism as a sign of virtue, achievement. Yet Candida’s story is revealing; perfection is as subtle as it is fascinating. The focus on impeccability is ultimately self-defeating, and our research draws attention to this fact. A balanced work life and a reduced environment are likely to help address the problematic nature of perfectionism in some way. But as a society, we too have a responsibility to challenge this unwanted trait.
Perfectionism and Burnout Are Close Friends and Best Avoided | Talk