Lord777
Professional
- Messages
- 2,579
- Reaction score
- 1,513
- Points
- 113
The American Psychological Association has published a study looking at the rise in perfectionism among young people. Compared to previous generations, today's students are stricter about themselves and demand more from others. In turn, society is increasingly demanding perfection from them. The study lasted from 1989 to 2016. During this time, about 40 thousand college students passed the opinion poll. As a result, it turned out that over these 17 years, our critical attitude towards ourselves has increased by 10%, by 16% towards others, and by 32% more perfectionism, which society expects from us (we are talking about the high demands that others make to us) ...
We often talk about perfectionism as if it were our hidden virtue. This is the standard answer to the standard interview question "What is your greatest weakness?" Some psychologists do believe that there is a so-called healthy perfectionism. This means that if a person directs all his energy and efforts to achieve some high goal, then he can really achieve impressive results. At the same time, there is an objective risk that at the same time he will be sucked into an endless cycle of inflated expectations, and his view of himself will become too strict. When a person's assessment is directly linked to their achievement, it can lead to serious consequences such as depression, anorexia, and even earlier death.
Researchers argue that external, not internal, perfectionism, that is, the perfectionism that others impose on us, harms us the most. It correlates with pathologies such as anxiety and suicidal tendencies.
What led to the rise of perfectionism among young people? According to one theory, social networks are the culprit in this situation, because of which we constantly compare ourselves with others . However, this is only a guess. Other possible reasons include the transition to capitalism and the free market, the popularity of meritocracy (the principle of governance by which the most capable people should occupy leading positions), as well as more anxious parents who are more likely to try to control the actions of their children.... According to the researchers, because of meritocracy, young people feel that they simply have to prove themselves and reach some heights. Therefore, they set unrealistic goals for themselves while studying and working.
We often talk about perfectionism as if it were our hidden virtue. This is the standard answer to the standard interview question "What is your greatest weakness?" Some psychologists do believe that there is a so-called healthy perfectionism. This means that if a person directs all his energy and efforts to achieve some high goal, then he can really achieve impressive results. At the same time, there is an objective risk that at the same time he will be sucked into an endless cycle of inflated expectations, and his view of himself will become too strict. When a person's assessment is directly linked to their achievement, it can lead to serious consequences such as depression, anorexia, and even earlier death.
Researchers argue that external, not internal, perfectionism, that is, the perfectionism that others impose on us, harms us the most. It correlates with pathologies such as anxiety and suicidal tendencies.
What led to the rise of perfectionism among young people? According to one theory, social networks are the culprit in this situation, because of which we constantly compare ourselves with others . However, this is only a guess. Other possible reasons include the transition to capitalism and the free market, the popularity of meritocracy (the principle of governance by which the most capable people should occupy leading positions), as well as more anxious parents who are more likely to try to control the actions of their children.... According to the researchers, because of meritocracy, young people feel that they simply have to prove themselves and reach some heights. Therefore, they set unrealistic goals for themselves while studying and working.
