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Perfectionism, Competence and Creativity
Perfectionism has taken a bum rap. Were it not for perfectionism, we would be in short supply of all those myriad human activities we deem extraordinary, excellent, outstanding or great in quality. Indeed, if truth be told, without perfectionism, we would be--and already are here in America, as some may have noticed--suffering from a dearth of competency in general, a virtual epidemic of incompetence at all levels of human endeavor. How has perfectionism and its virtues come to be so devalued and vilified in our day?
Once upon a time perfectionism was perceived not as neurosis, disease or mental disorder, but rather as a sign of commitment, caring, and devotion to one's work, be it manual laborer, mechanic, servant, psychotherapist, teacher, sales clerk, CEO, waitperson, filmmaker, physician, politician, chef, farmer, actor, screenwriter, author, architect, attorney or artist. The craftsman, for instance, would labor intensively over the task, lovingly tending to every little detail in order to create a product of the highest possible quality, and taking considerable, well-deserved pride in the impressive outcome. This pride in producing as perfect a piece as he or she could served not only to enhance the artisan's self-esteem and satisfy the inherent human need to create and contribute, but established and maintained his or her reputation for excellence in the public eye, hence being good for business--a very positive practical consequence indeed.
Now I am not claiming that such craftsmanship and commitment to excellence no longer exists anywhere in our culture. Surely it does, and can be witnessed in the works of the most skilled practitioners of every profession, vocation, craft or art. But this attitude, this "positive perfectionism," is in steep decline due, in no small part, to the denigration and devaluation of perfectionism in general.
Scratch the surface of any great artist, musician, entrepreneur, scientist or world leader, and you will likely find a perfectionist. If truth be told, it is in part their perfectionism that makes them great. Greatness stems from a fortunate confluence of perfectionism, talent and inner drivenness. But even in those of us possessing lesser degrees of the innate talent and/or drive inherent in the truly great, perfectionism calls each and every one of us toward a noble characteristic of perhaps even greater personal and collective value--competence.
Few human qualities seem more significant for sustaining the ordinary daily flow of life than basic competence. For each of us has a job to do, a part to play in the world, and I can think of no higher honor or more meaningful aspiration than to fulfill that humble function or role with competence. To be competent, according to the Oxford American Dictionary, means "having the ability or authority to do what is required." And, in Webster's Third New International Dictionary, competence is defined as "the quality or state of being functionally adequate or of having sufficient knowledge, judgment, skill, or strength (as for a particular duty or in a particular respect)." Note that these definitions do not refer to excellence, extraordinariness, greatness or even above-average ability, but rather specify performance that is simply adequate and sufficient to the task at hand.
Yet, despite the fact that the requirements for being merely competent at something are relatively modest, we appear in this country to be witnessing a marked decline in competence in recent decades. The negative consequences of this rising tide of incompetence on our daily lives is staggering to say the least. More obvious examples include such problems as medical malpractice, the improper manufacturing of tires, inefficiently run corporations and governmental agencies, prosecutors unable to present compelling and convincing arguments to juries, police corruption, and so forth. But it is by far the less glaring, more subtle manifestations of incompetence that so insidiously degrade our quality of life, adding to the mounting frustration, anger and rage so ubiquitous today. The inept teacher; the careless auto mechanic; the surly, useless sales clerk, postal worker or telephone operator; the inconsiderate or abusive boss, the inept politician, repair person or reporter, etc. These are but a few examples of the insidious crisis of competence in American culture. And my point is that much of it derives from a paucity of perfectionism.
Pathological vs. Positive Perfectionism
Perfectionism has, sadly, been broadly demonized by most mental health professionals, and therefore, by popular culture at large. But such unequivocal vilification of perfectionism is unfair and unwarranted. Perfectionism is, in its purest and most benevolent form, an archetypal quest for beauty, truth and goodness. Perfectionism is an inner calling to find and fulfill one's destiny; to realize one's potential; to pursue vigorously one's unique vocation. According to the Oxford American Dictionary, vocation is "a feeling that one is called by God to a certain career or occupation."
But this sense of vocation, of being "called," doesn't necessarily need to be couched in theological terms. It can be seen also as a secular calling, a strong proclivity, talent or inclination of the self toward a particular type of work, trade or profession. In either case, when we, like the biblical Jonah, find the requisite courage to follow that inner "voice" of vocation, wherever it leads, it is likely to lead us toward competency and fulfillment in our chosen field. When, on the other hand, we unwisely refuse the call, as did Jonah at first, we will likely wind up doing some kind of work for which we have no real passion. This is why mythologist Joseph Campbell encouraged seekers to "follow your bliss."
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There is a vital relationship between passion and perfectionism. Perfectionism is a form of daimonic passion. A sort of obsession or possession. It is an outward expression of one's inner passion for a particular vocation. For balance, form, harmony and wholeness. Perfectionism, paradoxically, is potentially a spiritual path to god, destiny, purpose and meaning. When one has passion for one's work, perfectionism is the natural and normal expression of that passion. This is constructive, positive perfectionism. Positive perfectionism is not, as some assume, the compulsive worship of order and neatness, as we so often see in obsessive-compulsive disorder or obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. This sort of pathological perfectionism is a neurotic denial of life's inherent imperfection, and a vain attempt to fend off chaos, messiness, disease, suffering, anxiety and, finally, death itself. This is the potentially dark, destructive side of perfectionism.
Neurotic, negative or pathological perfectionism can undoubtedly impede creativity and competence. Placing unrealistic expectations and demands on one's own work or that of others is fraught with problems ranging from resentment, shame and erosion of self-esteem, to blocked creativity due to dread of producing anything less than perfect. Or of appearing imperfect, as in the case of social phobia, compulsive seekers of cosmetic surgery, and sufferers of body dysmorphic disorder or anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Seeking the perfect relationship or job is similarly doomed to disappointment. Pathological perfectionism prevents people from enjoying and savoring life as it is, seeking instead to constantly control their environment in an attempt to make everything perfect. But it is a perfectly imperfect world in which we live, inhabited by imperfect beings. In such self-defeating cases, competent psychotherapy can be helpful in accepting and embracing imperfection in oneself and others. (See my previous post.)
Creativity can be conceived of as a process of trying to perfectly render some compelling inner vision, emotion or concept. Perfectionism, when not taken to neurotic extremes, acknowledges the unavoidability of imperfection, while at the same time heroically striving toward perfection nonetheless. Non-pathological or positive perfectionism accepts its human limitations and the ultimate impossibility of attaining or sustaining perfection. What the healthy or constructive perfectionist does is labor as passionately, obsessively and perfectionistically as possible on a project, knowing and accepting all the while that he or she is destined to fall short in realizing the vision. But that despite the inevitability of failure, something good, something positive, something new, something worthwhile, something meaningful can come of the effort. And, for the positive perfectionist, this makes the frustrating, arduous, troublesome and oftimes tedious journey toward almost certain defeat a worthwhile and triumphant failure.
