What is a perfectionist?

I don't know if it is a disorder but I know my son is one. All his life when he does something he will do it over and over agian until it is perfect. It show in his school work. He also draws alot and will do it over and over agian until it is perfect. It drives me crazy. For some reason if it's not perfect and he can't get it that way he will just throw it away.

[edit] Positive aspects Perfectionism can drive people to accomplishments and provide the motivation to persevere in the face of discouragement and obstacles. Roedell (1984) argues that "in a positive form, perfectionism can provide the driving energy which leads to great achievement. The meticulous attention to detail necessary for scientific investigation, the commitment which pushes composers to keep working until the music realises the glorious sounds playing in the imagination, and the persistence which keeps great artists at their easels until their creation matches their conception all result from perfectionism". Slaney found that adaptive perfectionists had lower levels of procrastination than non-perfectionists. High-achieving athletes, scientists, and artists often show signs of perfectionism. For example, Michelangelo's perfectionism may have spurred him to create masterpieces such as the statue David and the Sistine Chapel. Perfectionism is associated with giftedness in children. Negative aspects In its pathological form, perfectionism can be very damaging. It can take the form of procrastination when it is used to postpone tasks ("I can't start my project until I know the 'right' way to do it."), and self-deprecation when it is used to excuse poor performance or to seek sympathy and affirmation from other people ("I can't believe I don't know how to reach my own goals. I must be stupid; how else could I not be able to do this?"). In the workplace, perfectionism is often marked by low productivity as individuals lose time and energy on small irrelevant details of larger projects or mundane daily activities. This can lead to depression, alienated colleagues, and a greater risk of accidents. Adderholt-Elliot (1989) describes five characteristics of perfectionist students and teachers which contribute to underachievement: procrastination, fear of failure, the all-or-nothing mindset, paralysed perfectionism, and workaholism.In intimate relationships, unreal expectations can cause significant dissatisfaction in both partners. Perfectionists may sacrifice family and social activities in the quest for their goals. Perfectionists can suffer anxiety and low self-esteem. Perfectionism is a risk factor for obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, and clinical depression. Therapists attempt to tackle the negative thinking that surrounds perfectionism, in particular the "all-or-nothing" thinking where the client believes that an achievement is either perfect or useless. They encourage clients to set realistic goals and to face their fear of failure. Causes Like most personality traits, perfectionism tends to run in families and probably has a genetic component. Parents who practice an authoritarian style combined with conditional love may contribute to perfectionism in their children. Culture may play a role. In one study (Castro & Rice 2003), Asian-American students reported higher levels of perfectionism than did African-American or European-American students. Perfectionism may be a legacy of our evolutionary past. Hominids who were motivated for prolonged, incremental improvement (perfectionism) could create better tools and this would provide significant survival advantages.

No I don't think it's a disorder. Some people just like it when things are neat and clean. I'm noe of them :-)

Perfectionist is not at all a disorder! it is something ever1 should try to become..i try being a perfectionist many times but then again being perfectionist doest mean one looks into every small aspect of his act and judges it..i feel it is a tool to improve urself on a regular basis and not get mad about it! more over i feel a person should also never achieve perfectionist cos if u do..there would be no scope to improve....!!! think...

I think it is a disorder. I know folks and if you are late just one minute, literally, they are on the phone asking where you are. I know people who have to have lunch on the table at noon exactly, or their whole day is ruined. I know people who are so perfect that their lives are the worse for it, because really nobody is perfect, but the constant need to be so makes them just utterly unhappy. And their constant want for other people to be perfect as well, makes them a pain to be around.