The Merriam Webster dictionary defines perfectionism is a disposition to regard anything short of perfection as unacceptable. I am not a perfectionist. I strive for excellence and I work hard, but I do not create unachievable expectations and I do not over work myself for something undeserving. I hear of and know of a lot of people who describe themselves as perfectionists. The characteristic has become so ubiquitous that it feels to me that to not describe yourself as a perfectionist is to be lesser.

One of the biggest misconceptions associated with someone who does not identify as a perfectionist is that they don’t care about producing quality work. I can tell you firsthand this is not true. The difference I notice between myself and a perfectionist when it comes to this is that I do not transform care and thoughtfulness into anxiety and burden.

According to Harvard Health Publications, perfectionism can trigger a cascade of anxieties. Theses anxieties stem from the fear of making a mistake or a refusal to accept anything less than perfection. While, like most people I know, I hope for perfection in my work, I acknowledge and accept that which is not. Because we all have a skewed sense of what perfection is, not everything can be perfect and I am okay with that.

Along with that, I also commonly hear that if you are not a perfectionist you don’t have any desire to improve or move up in the world. Knowing that something may never be perfect does not translate into thinking that it is currently the best it can be. There can always be room for improvement and you don’t have to be a perfectionist to recognize that.

Another misinterpretation of a non-perfectionist, besides the idea that we care less about our work, is that our work is somehow of less quality. Whether or not you are a perfectionist has no impact on your talent, intelligence, skill or even work ethic. Imperfections are inevitable and a refusal to acknowledge that doesn’t make your efforts any more worthy.

As a college student with no respite from daily stress, I find relief in not adding more stress into my life with unobtainable expectations for myself. We are already burdened with a seemingly never-ending list expectations and I try to avoid the unnecessary additions.

For me, not being a perfectionist allows me choose what I care about and what I put the maximum capacity of my capabilities into. When it comes down to it, perfection is too unattainable to give ourselves a headache over. We as students tend to get it in our heads that one mistake will break us, or that if we don’t accomplish something, we will fail. I am not always immune to this thinking, but I am able to understand its faults. Stepping out of this bubble gives a new perspective to the idea that some things will never be perfect and it benefits us the most when we embrace those imperfections.

Sam Miner can be reached at mine0034@stthomas.edu