The quest for perfection: Avoiding guilt or avoiding shame?

Abstract

The cognitive style of perfectionists is noted together with the emotional and behavioral outcome of their irrational thinking patterns. Perfectionism in narcissism is viewed as an attempt to avoid shame and humiliation for not living up to an archaic grandiose view of the self. In contrast, neurotic perfectionism is an attempt to avoid guilt for not living up to the demands of a harsh, internalized, and differentiated superego.

Perfectionism and the experience of pride, shame, and guilt: Comparing healthy perfectionists, unhealthy perfectionists, and non-perfectionists

“…Moreover, perfectionists often measure their self-worth in terms of unachievable goals of accomplishment and productivity and have their lives ruled by a self-imposed "tyranny of the should" (Horney, 1950, p. 65): No matter how much they have accomplished, they always feel that they could have done-and should have done-better, and thus respond with shame and guilt regarding their alleged underachievements (Sorotzkin, 1985). However, as Hamachek (1978) pointed out, it is important to differentiate between "neurotic perfectionists" (or unhealthy perfectionists) who experience elevated levels of guilt and shame when regarding their accomplishments and "normal perfectionists" (or healthy perfectionists) who enjoy their strivings and feel pride in their accomplishments.…”

Étude des tendances suicidaires en fonction des dimensions du perfectionisme chez des adolescents des deux sexes /

“…Selon Pacht (1984), le véritable problème du perfectionnisme réside précisément dans le fait qu'une tâche qui n'est pas parfaitement réussie est considérée comme un échec. Ce mode de pensée dichotomique amène l'individu à être extrêmement préoccupé par ses erreurs et à généraliser à partir de ces dernières (Beck, 1976;Burns, 1980;Hewitt, Flett, Turnbull-Donovan, & Mikail, 1991;Sorotzkin, 1985). L'individu perfectionniste fait montre, également, d'une attention sélective par laquelle les objectifs atteints sont dévalués ou ignorés, alors que les objectifs non atteints ou les erreurs sont amplifiés (Barrow & Moore, 1983).…”

The Relationship between Evaluative Concerns Perfectionism, and Speech Anxiety in College Students: The Serial Multiple Mediation Effects of Internalized Shame and Intolerance of Uncertainty

“…내면화된 수치심이란 자아 정체감으로 '내면 화된 깊은 수준의 열등감, 부적절감, 그리고 부족감을 지속 적이고 만성적으로 느끼는 것'으로 정의되며 (Kim MK et al, 2013), 특히 평가적 상황과 관련된 정서로 간주한다 (Scheff, 1988). 그 예로, 사전연구에 의하면 평가염려 완벽 주의가 높은 사람은 과도하게 높은 목표를 세우고, 자기 자 신에게 초점을 맞춰 수행이 목표에 미치지 못했거나 작은 실 수를 할 경우 실패한 것으로 간주하며, 사소한 평가에도 예 민하게 반응함으로써 자신을 수치스럽게 여기는 것으로 나 타났다 (Bradshaw, 1988;Tangney et al, 1992;Hollender, 1965;Hamachek, 1978;Sorotzkin, 1985). 이처럼 평가염려 완벽주의 및 내면화된 수치심이 높은 사람은 이런 경향성이 발현될지도 모르는 발표와 같은 평가 상황을 회피 할 가능성이 있을 것으로 생각된다.…”