The High Price of Trying to be a Perfect 10 in Life — Dave’s Diary

“That’s close enough for government work”.   I used to hate to hear that when I worked construction and I admit I have squabbled a bit with my wife over her tendency to “appreciate the approximate”.

But from what I am learning, that’s probably better than being a perfectionist.

Being a "perfectionist" a person with strong urges to be perfect can be deadly. Researchers found that perfectionists, who are locked in on "all or nothing thinking," are highly stressed and likely to die well before people who have more reasonable expectations.

A recent 6 and a half year study of elderly people ages 65 to 87 found that perfectionists had a staggering 51% greater risk of dying. Those with the greatest death risk were neurotics who said they often felt tense.

Meanwhile, those who were extroverts, or more social, and conscientious were more relaxed and had the lowest death rate. "Perfectionism exerts a great deal of stress on health," concludes a study published in the Journal Of Health Psychology.

So I’m not even going to spell check this post cuz as my cousin Steve used to say, “It’s close enough for the girls we go with.”  That Steve, what a stress free guy!