Top 10 Signs You're a Perfectionist

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Author Message Ron Beard CCS Senior Member Username: rm_beard_ccs Post Number: 47 Registered: 10-2002 Posted on Wednesday, January 19, 2005 - 06:08 pm:    I stumbled across the article below on a website and found it interesting. I’ve always thought that specifiers need to be perfectionists but are they? It would be interesting to see how this esteemed group rates as “perfectionists?” I scored an eight. But I think #5 should be thrown out [for purposes of this quiz] because a person not willing to ask for help or seek out new answers should not be a specifier. - - - - - - - - - - - - “It isn't easy being a perfectionist. You have to be persistent, detailed, and an organized high achiever. You must have exceedingly high standards not only for yourself, but also those around you. You have to conceal your imperfections from others in an attempt to always project an image of perfection. Ten Top Signs Your a Perfectionist 1. You can't stop thinking about a mistake you made. 2. You are intensely competitive and can't stand doing worse than others. 3. You either want to do something "just right" or not at all. 4. You demand perfection from other people. 5. You won't ask for help if asking can be perceived as a flaw or weakness. 6. You will persist at a task long after other people have quit. 7. You are a fault-finder who must correct other people when they are wrong. 8. You are highly aware of other people's demands and expectations. 9. You are very self-conscious about making mistakes in front of other people. 10.You noticed the error in the title of this list." Source: The BBC News Online [Note: There is much more to the article which I have not included for brevity and to keep this post from getting to heavy.] Anonymous   Posted on Wednesday, January 19, 2005 - 06:42 pm:    Oh no. I scored a 9. Is there a 12-step program for me to consider? Anonymous   Posted on Wednesday, January 19, 2005 - 07:22 pm:    I only got 6 of the 9 (not counting #5) Maybe I only need medication and not professional help. It's a new century I self medicate! (single malts mostly) Lynn Javoroski Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 179 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Wednesday, January 19, 2005 - 07:35 pm:    Depending on circumstances, I could score a 10. However, I am a realist. So I do stop thinking about a mistake; I recognize that others will not perform as I expect/require; I only correct (and gently) those who I perceive as being willing to accept correction; and it depends on the "mistake" whether or not I'll make it in front of others - I won't if I can help it, but if I do, oh well, nobody's perfect. So if I give myself 1/2 for each of those, then I'm only an 8. This includes 5, because asking for help when you need it is not a flaw or weakness, it is simply seeking a higher level of perfection! Anonymous   Posted on Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 08:48 am:    I'm not perfect. Perfection is a flaw...and I have no flaws. LOL! Doug Frank FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: doug_frank_ccs Post Number: 93 Registered: 06-2002 Posted on Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 10:26 am:    Based on Lynn's system, I scored an 8 as well. If I discount #5, then I'm only a 7 and can hopefully get by with only a little more self-medication. However, I might have to add another point since I did notice the error in the title AND (sorry Ron) the mis-use of "to heavy" (too heavy)in Ron's closing note. Can I get a credit if the level of fullness of my third Single Malt doesn't have to be "Perfect"? Ron Beard CCS Senior Member Username: rm_beard_ccs Post Number: 48 Registered: 10-2002 Posted on Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 11:09 am:    Doug: You're pretty sharp. I thought I could slip that one by. I should have known I couldn't get very far with you guys. ;-) Your Prize: Another Single Malt. Anne Whitacre, CCS CSI Senior Member Username: awhitacre Post Number: 157 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 02:28 pm:    I scored a "1" (I found the error in the title), which just reinforces my thinking that I'm not a typical spec writer. Of course, I did use a punching bag at home every night for about 15 years when I came home from work --- and then took up a combat sport (fencing) for another five years. (when asked if I did competitive athletics in college, I replied "no, I just work with contractors".) Anonymous   Posted on Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 02:56 pm:    I scored a whopping 0 on this one. I missed No.# 10 because I read so much stuff every day that I tend to skim too quickly across sentences that I believe to be unqualified for entry into the limited space of my mental database. I missed the other 9 because I tend to see each of them as being measured by degrees and therefore not answerable with a mere true or false response. I might, for example, sometimes have a somewhat hard time forgetting some mistakes for some limited amount of time; however, I do not always remember every mistake I ever made for every remaining moment of my entire life. An affirmative response to item #1 would seem to imply the latter. Also, how does one measure “intensely competitive” against “fairly competitive” or merely “mildly competitive?” And, should children and mentally disabled persons be included amongst the people from whom I would “demand” (not merely “encourage”) perfection? I don’t think you have to be a perfectionist to be a good spec writer. In my case, I just enjoy over-analyzing things (like this article) to death. I think that quality in me helps me to look ahead to potential problems and resolve them before they can occur. I also believe everyone should want to feel good about what they’ve done after having dedicated a good portion of their life to accomplishing it. That’s not being a perfectionist. Life’s too short to toss it away on work that you can’t reasonably brag about. I also think my spec writing is highly self-defense driven. I don’t want to feel responsible for costly and embarrassing mistakes or bad directions on the project – even if it doesn’t affect me personally. Ron Beard CCS Senior Member Username: rm_beard_ccs Post Number: 49 Registered: 10-2002 Posted on Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 04:49 pm:    Anonymous; Are you from California? Anonymous   Posted on Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 06:54 pm:    Ron; No, but I can pretend I am if you want. Phil Kabza Senior Member Username: phil_kabza Post Number: 85 Registered: 12-2002 Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 05:06 pm:    I am reminded of [a well-known specifier's] tee shirt that read: "Is anal retentive hyphenated?"