Perfectionism -Whats Bad About Being Good?
Miriam Adderholdt, Ph.D., and Jan Goldberg, Free Spirit Publishing, 1999, 123 pages
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Perfectionism
is not only readable for parents and teenagers, but also informative on an
important topic that often afflicts GATE students. In the book, there is a
short quiz that tells where you fall of the Perfectionist Curve. Although
written for teenagers, adults can also benefit from this book, especially
those dealing with teenagers who score high on the P-Curve. Perfectionism often leads to hyper-criticality of oneself and others, self-harm through drugs, physical damage, or worse. It is also damaging to personal relationships when unattainable standards are set for others. Warning signs include procrastination, inflexibility, setting unreachable goals, self-hatred, and never being satisfied, regardless of the results. Perfectionists often want to produce a great work in one swipe, but need to learn that rough drafts are a good way to get started on projects. The book offers help in overcoming the fear to take risks, learning to fail, and laughing about failed attempts. There are suggestions on how to gain control over your life, and even how to savor your imperfect successes. I recommend Perfectionism, available for checkout at the GATE library at La Colina Junior High School, for any adult or child that has perfectionist tendencies. Reviewed by David L. Jones, GATE parent |