To be perfect means to be without blemish, fault or weakness, an ideal that many deem to be a goal worth pursuing at any cost. Yet the cost for most of us is high, because contrary to popular belief, perfection only exists in the vacuum of carefully curated social media posts that we have come to simultaneously love and hate.
The price we are willing to pay for the unattainable is high and according to my guest is contributing to an increase in burnout, anxiety and depression. Tom Curran is a professor at the London School of Economics and the author of ‘The Perfection Trap: The Power Of Good Enough In A World That Always Wants More.’
Tom describes the modern-day pressure to be perfect as “society’s favourite flaw” that promotes a culture of ‘never good enough.’ Both Tom and I have had our own struggles with perfectionism, and is why I appreciate Tom’s vulnerability in sharing his own personal experience during our conversation.
The truth is though that few of us are immune to the lure of perfectionism, but is there a difference between having high standards and how can we resist the modern-day pressures to be better and do more? And can we go even further and create a kinder, more compassionate world that not only accepts but celebrates our imperfections.
So if you have ever found yourself comparing, competing, ruminating about mistakes or just feeling like you aren’t good enough, then I hope this episode may help you to quieten your voice of self-doubt and criticism and to know that you are perfectly…imperfect just as you are.
If you enjoyed this episode of Flip It, I would be hugely grateful if you could rate, review and subscribe. It really will help me to discover and share more stories and voices that deserve to be heard.
Connect with Thomas Curran https://www.thomcurran.com/
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