The Perils of Perfectionism
By Dr. Andrea Tsatalis
In a field where we measure to the ½ millimeter, it’s no surprise that perfectionism is a common tendency among endodontists.
Looking outside the scope, one can find perfectionism everywhere…a phenomena fueled by social media, real-time communication technology, and a global economy. Struggles with perfectionism are a common topic of TED talk lectures, memes, and celebrity confessionals alike. But how often do we as an endodontic community address our predispositions toward perfectionism?
The American Psychological Association defines perfectionism as “the tendency to demand of others or of oneself an extremely high or even flawless level of performance, in excess of what is required by the situation.”1. Curran and Hill evaluated over 40,000 college students in a 27-year study assessing the pervasiveness of perfectionism. While 9% of subjects scored high in socially prescribed perfectionism in 1989, a rise to 18% was observed in 2016.2 Perfectionism has been linked to several mental health issues (depression, anxiety) and somatic symptoms (fatigue, insomnia).3
The toxicity of perfectionism lies in its inherent abstraction—perfect is an impossible reality. Voltaire’s famous aphorism “perfect is the enemy of good” also alludes to its negative effects on performance.4 We’ve all gone back to retreat a recently-obturated canal and found our second attempt was worse than the first. Or maybe you’ve decided to push the file just a ~little~ bit more and ledged, transported, or separated that same file.
It is noteworthy to emphasize the distinction between “aiming for perfect” and “aiming for excellent.” Is this article a call to lower your standards? Of course not. However, all-consuming perfectionism threatens to distort reasonable and clinically acceptable standards of care.
Take time today to acknowledge that possibility that unwelcome events can happen in a clinical setting. Focus on what you have the power to control and set attainable goals. Perfectionism may “the enemy of good,” but by understanding and mitigating perfectionistic tendencies, we can all aim for great.
Works Cited:
1: American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Apa Dictionary of Psychology. American Psychological Association. https://dictionary.apa.org/perfectionism
2: Curran T, Hill AP. Perfectionism is increasing over time: A meta-analysis of birth cohort differences from 1989 to 2016. Psychol Bull. 2019 Apr;145(4):410-429. doi: 10.1037/bul0000138. Epub 2017 Dec 28. PMID: 29283599.
3: Limburg, K., Watson, H.J., Hagger, M.S. and Egan, S.J. (2017), The Relationship Between Perfectionism and Psychopathology: A Meta-Analysis. J. Clin. Psychol., 73: 1301-1326. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22435
4: Wolf, L. (2019, January 31). The perfect is the enemy of the good. California Digital Library. https://cdlib.org/cdlinfo/2010/06/02/the-perfect-is-the-enemy-of-the-good/#:~:text=We%20often%20quote%20Voltaire%3A%20%E2%80%9CThe,on%20excellence%20rather%20than%20perfection.
Dr. Andrea Tsatalis practices endodontics in Tampa, Florida. She is passionate about providing high-quality care to her patients & contributing to the greater endodontic community through her work as a lecturer, researcher, and clinician.