Ellen Hendriksen

The word perfectionism is actually a misnomer. Instead of striving to be perfect, it's really about never feeling good enough, especially in the context of an ever more competitive culture. It makes sense that we respond with the feeling that we're not good enough.

The word perfectionism is actually a misnomer. Instead of striving to be perfect, it's really about never feeling good enough, especially in the context of an ever more competitive culture. It makes sense that we respond with the feeling that we're not good enough.

The word perfectionism is actually a misnomer. Instead of striving to be perfect, it's really about never feeling good enough, especially in the context of an ever more competitive culture. It makes sense that we respond with the feeling that we're not good enough.

Thank you so much for having me.

Thank you so much for having me.

Thank you so much for having me.

Oh, for sure. Yeah. So I am a clinical psychologist. I work at an anxiety specialty center. And I have to say that the majority of my clients who come into the center have perfectionism at the center of their challenges. But nobody has ever come in and said, Ellen, I'm a perfectionist. I need everything to be perfect. Instead, people say things like, I feel like I'm failing.

Oh, for sure. Yeah. So I am a clinical psychologist. I work at an anxiety specialty center. And I have to say that the majority of my clients who come into the center have perfectionism at the center of their challenges. But nobody has ever come in and said, Ellen, I'm a perfectionist. I need everything to be perfect. Instead, people say things like, I feel like I'm failing.

Oh, for sure. Yeah. So I am a clinical psychologist. I work at an anxiety specialty center. And I have to say that the majority of my clients who come into the center have perfectionism at the center of their challenges. But nobody has ever come in and said, Ellen, I'm a perfectionist. I need everything to be perfect. Instead, people say things like, I feel like I'm failing.

I feel like I'm falling behind. I have a million things on my plate and I'm not doing any of them well. And I think that's because the word perfectionism is actually a misnomer. That instead of striving to be perfect... It's really about never feeling good enough.

I feel like I'm falling behind. I have a million things on my plate and I'm not doing any of them well. And I think that's because the word perfectionism is actually a misnomer. That instead of striving to be perfect... It's really about never feeling good enough.

I feel like I'm falling behind. I have a million things on my plate and I'm not doing any of them well. And I think that's because the word perfectionism is actually a misnomer. That instead of striving to be perfect... It's really about never feeling good enough.

And that, especially in the context of 2025, a demanding, ever more competitive, ratings-oriented, optimization-focused culture, it makes sense that we respond with the feeling that we're not good enough.

And that, especially in the context of 2025, a demanding, ever more competitive, ratings-oriented, optimization-focused culture, it makes sense that we respond with the feeling that we're not good enough.

And that, especially in the context of 2025, a demanding, ever more competitive, ratings-oriented, optimization-focused culture, it makes sense that we respond with the feeling that we're not good enough.

Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, the definition of perfectionism is the tendency to demand of oneself a level of performance higher than is required for the situation. And I really feel like that definition is sort of like one of those optical illusions where if you look at it one way, you see one thing. If you look at it the other way, you see another thing.

Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, the definition of perfectionism is the tendency to demand of oneself a level of performance higher than is required for the situation. And I really feel like that definition is sort of like one of those optical illusions where if you look at it one way, you see one thing. If you look at it the other way, you see another thing.

Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, the definition of perfectionism is the tendency to demand of oneself a level of performance higher than is required for the situation. And I really feel like that definition is sort of like one of those optical illusions where if you look at it one way, you see one thing. If you look at it the other way, you see another thing.

It's like the bunny and the duck or the young lady and the old lady. Because there is healthy perfectionism, like the tendency to demand of oneself a level of performance higher than is required for the situation can be really great. That's when we hit it out of the park. That makes the world go round. That's when we strive for excellence. We do good work for the work's sake.

It's like the bunny and the duck or the young lady and the old lady. Because there is healthy perfectionism, like the tendency to demand of oneself a level of performance higher than is required for the situation can be really great. That's when we hit it out of the park. That makes the world go round. That's when we strive for excellence. We do good work for the work's sake.