Perfectionists believe they can only be happy when they achieve perfection. But, because they're rarely perfect, they're rarely happy. Their constant worries about failing to meet their own impossible standards can lead to health problems such as depression, eating disorders, and anxiety.

Why being perfect is bad?

Research shows that perfectionistic tendencies predict issues like depression, anxiety and stress – even when researchers controlled for traits like neuroticism. Worsening matters, being self-critical might lead to depressive symptoms but those symptoms then can make self-criticism worse, closing a distressing loop.

Is being perfectionist a bad thing?

Being this sort of perfectionist “can contribute to serious health problems, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, fatigue and even early mortality.” Or in other words, you can stress yourself into an early grave.