Perfectionism: a complex for me to deal with
Complex/'kأ¤m"pleks/a. consisting of several parts, complicated; n. a group of repressed desires and memories that exerts a dominating influence upon the personality>
The human mind is complex(a.). It is so full of archetypes, memories, feelings, thoughts, intuition etc etc.. How we think, what we do, it is all up to that precious mind of ours. Sigmund Freud sees the mind as consisting of the conscious and the unconscious, where the unconscious dominates a large percentage. Now, in the unconscious there are complexes(n.). These complexes does much to influence our personality. One such complex is perfectionism. Why do I mention this in particular? For those of you who know me, you know that that is without a doubt, one of my complexes.
I am a perfectionist at what I do. Now don't get me wrong. I am not a neat freak, mind you. Ironic though. I don't demand perfection all the time. During these times that I relax, I can be rather messy. But when I start tugging on that perfection, things could get really intense. But most of the time, I demand perfection particularly when I want to prove my capability; when I want others to approve. Why am I so hard on myself? I don't know. Insecurity maybe. To others, I seem like the independent one. The one who is confident of whatever I do. Sorry to disappoint you, but I am not. I am a wimp on the inside. No one can conquer their fears. It is not done. But we can learn to deal with them. For now, I am a long long way from even coming to terms with my fears. My self-esteem? Don't be fooled by that arrogant exterior. My self-esteem plunges faster than you can say "timber".
Perfection means free from fault or defects. But there will always be mistakes, no matter how careful we are. Systematic errors, random errors, errors caused by nature. Cripes! Does there even exist a level of perfection? The answer is, yes. But the level of perfection may not be defined in the way that we all assume. Perfection, in the real world, is not free from defects. In fact, there are many levels of perfection. Why? This is due to the individualism of man. We are all different. No two person are the same in terms of personality. Each individual has their own standard for perfection. In this case, perfection comes hand in hand with contentment. Perfection is achieved when one has no more cause for complaints. What they see, to them is perfect. Whatever defects that may be there are not seen at all. They only see the beauty of the completed task. Now that, is perfection. But perfection is often determined by the one who wants the task done in the first place. Chances are, the one completing the task, and the one requiring the task done, are not one and the same. This often means that we have to work towards another person's level of perfection. Slim, are the chances that we can achieve the exact level of standard deemed as perfect by others. Such, is the dilemma when no compromise can be made.
Perfection. In this era, that word seems more like a blasphemy, which leaves a bitter aftertaste. The perfect body, the perfect face, the perfect significant other. But is perfection as negative as we have perceived it to be?! I dare say that it is not.
Now, let us look at Carl Jung's perspective to explain things more clearly. Jung seems to see things as if they consisted of both sides of the coin: positive & negative, ying & yang, masculine & feminine. Even for the complexes, it is no different. Perfectionism in this sense could be seen either as a negative trait, as most people seem to view it, or in a positive way. It is a choice for the individual to make. We are the ones who decide who we want ourselves to be. When we understand our complexes, can we make the choice to bring out the best in these complexes. That is why we are the masters of our own destiny.
Knowing all this information. Years and years of psychological findings and research. But are we any closer to learning about ourselves, and learning how to deal with our own lives? That, I shall leave for you to answer.
"A man should not strive to eliminate his complexes but to get into accord with them:they are legitimately what directs his conduct in the world."~Sigmund Freud
The human mind is complex(a.). It is so full of archetypes, memories, feelings, thoughts, intuition etc etc.. How we think, what we do, it is all up to that precious mind of ours. Sigmund Freud sees the mind as consisting of the conscious and the unconscious, where the unconscious dominates a large percentage. Now, in the unconscious there are complexes(n.). These complexes does much to influence our personality. One such complex is perfectionism. Why do I mention this in particular? For those of you who know me, you know that that is without a doubt, one of my complexes.
I am a perfectionist at what I do. Now don't get me wrong. I am not a neat freak, mind you. Ironic though. I don't demand perfection all the time. During these times that I relax, I can be rather messy. But when I start tugging on that perfection, things could get really intense. But most of the time, I demand perfection particularly when I want to prove my capability; when I want others to approve. Why am I so hard on myself? I don't know. Insecurity maybe. To others, I seem like the independent one. The one who is confident of whatever I do. Sorry to disappoint you, but I am not. I am a wimp on the inside. No one can conquer their fears. It is not done. But we can learn to deal with them. For now, I am a long long way from even coming to terms with my fears. My self-esteem? Don't be fooled by that arrogant exterior. My self-esteem plunges faster than you can say "timber".
Perfection means free from fault or defects. But there will always be mistakes, no matter how careful we are. Systematic errors, random errors, errors caused by nature. Cripes! Does there even exist a level of perfection? The answer is, yes. But the level of perfection may not be defined in the way that we all assume. Perfection, in the real world, is not free from defects. In fact, there are many levels of perfection. Why? This is due to the individualism of man. We are all different. No two person are the same in terms of personality. Each individual has their own standard for perfection. In this case, perfection comes hand in hand with contentment. Perfection is achieved when one has no more cause for complaints. What they see, to them is perfect. Whatever defects that may be there are not seen at all. They only see the beauty of the completed task. Now that, is perfection. But perfection is often determined by the one who wants the task done in the first place. Chances are, the one completing the task, and the one requiring the task done, are not one and the same. This often means that we have to work towards another person's level of perfection. Slim, are the chances that we can achieve the exact level of standard deemed as perfect by others. Such, is the dilemma when no compromise can be made.
Perfection. In this era, that word seems more like a blasphemy, which leaves a bitter aftertaste. The perfect body, the perfect face, the perfect significant other. But is perfection as negative as we have perceived it to be?! I dare say that it is not.
Now, let us look at Carl Jung's perspective to explain things more clearly. Jung seems to see things as if they consisted of both sides of the coin: positive & negative, ying & yang, masculine & feminine. Even for the complexes, it is no different. Perfectionism in this sense could be seen either as a negative trait, as most people seem to view it, or in a positive way. It is a choice for the individual to make. We are the ones who decide who we want ourselves to be. When we understand our complexes, can we make the choice to bring out the best in these complexes. That is why we are the masters of our own destiny.
Knowing all this information. Years and years of psychological findings and research. But are we any closer to learning about ourselves, and learning how to deal with our own lives? That, I shall leave for you to answer.
"A man should not strive to eliminate his complexes but to get into accord with them:they are legitimately what directs his conduct in the world."~Sigmund Freud
posted by Raelin at Friday, December 10, 2004
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