29 Quotes About Perfectionism to Change Your Perspective

My inner perfectionist is not happy that I'm writing this today. Why am I relying on what other people have said to tell you about perfectionism?

And, if I can access my humility, I can appreciate how much wisdom there is out in the world already. Here are some of my favourite quotes that helped me see perfectionism in a different light.

Quotes about What Perfectionism Is

1. "Perfectionism is internalized oppression." - Gloria Steinem

2. “Perfectionism is self-abuse of the highest order.” - Anne Wilson Schaef

3. “Perfectionism is a dream killer, because it’s just fear disguised as trying to do your best. It just is.” - Mastin Kipp

4. “At its root, perfectionism isn’t really about a deep love of being meticulous. It’s about fear. Fear of making a mistake. Fear of disappointing others. Fear of failure. Fear of success.” - Michael Law

5. “Perfectionism is a delusion that can rob one of a very successful, enriching life if not careful.” - April Bryan

6. “Perfectionism is a dream killer, because it’s just fear disguised as trying to do your best.” — Mastin Kipp

7. “Perfectionism doesn’t make you feel perfect. It makes you feel inadequate.” – Maria Shriver

8. “Perfectionism is the belief that something is broken – you. So you dress up your brokenness with degrees, achievements, accolades, pieces of paper, none of which can fix what you think you are fixing” – Edith Eger

9. “Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you insane your whole life.” - Anne Lamott

10. “Perfectionism is the art of never being satisfied.” -Unknown

11. “Perfectionism is not a quest for the best. It is a pursuit of the worst in ourselves, the part that tells us that nothing we do will ever be good enough.” - Julia Cameron

Quotes on the Consequences of Perfectionism

1. “Perfectionism sucks the air out of your uniqueness and leaves you empty, away from who you could become.” - Darryl Stewart Wellness

2. "We don’t have to wait until we are on our deathbed to realize what a waste of our precious lives it is to carry the belief that something is wrong with us." - Tara Brach

3. “Perfectionism rarely begets perfection, or satisfaction – only disappointment” – Ryan Holiday

4. "Perfectionism is a twenty-ton shield we lug around thinking it will protect us when, in fact, it's the thing that's really preventing us from taking flight." - Brené Brown

5. “Perfectionism is not as much the desire for excellence, as it is the fear of failure couched in procrastination.” -Dan Miller

Quotes on Self-Acceptance

1. “No amount of self-improvement can make up for any lack of self-acceptance.” - Robert Holden

2. "On this sacred path of Radical Acceptance, rather than striving for perfection, we discover how to love ourselves into wholeness." - Tara Brach

3. “Stop trying to ‘fix’ yourself; you’re NOT broken! You are perfectly imperfect and powerful beyond measure.” - Steve Maraboli

4. “What self-acceptance does is open up more possibilities of succeeding because you aren’t fighting yourself along the way.” - Shannon Ables

5. “The feeling that “I am enough” does not mean that I have nothing to learn, nothing further to achieve, and nowhere to grow to. It means that I accept myself, that I am not on trial in my own eyes, that I value and respect myself. This is not an act of indulgence but of courage.” - Nathaniel Branden

Quotes to Inspire and Uplift You

1. “There is no perfection, only beautiful versions of brokenness.” - Shannon L. Alder

2. "There are no rules for living, because you are unique. Find your truth in each moment and dare to live it. That is the way to freedom." - Paul Lowe

3. “Success is loving life and daring to live it.”  –  Maya Angelou

4. “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist.” – Oscar Wilde

5. "Be free, and live life fully" - Caroline Shaw

6. “Live life to the fullest. You have to color outside the lines once in a while if you want to make your life a masterpiece. Laugh some every day. Keep growing, keep dreaming, keep following your heart. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”  –  Albert Einstein

7. “Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.”  –  Henry David Thoreau

8. Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow”. - Mary Anne Radmacher

9. “Imperfection inspires invention, imagination, creativity. It stimulates. The more I feel imperfect, the more I feel alive.” - Jhumpa Lahiri

And one final quote from someone who I aspire to be a little more like one day:

“Perfectionism  is not self-improvement. Perfectionism is, at its core, about trying  to earn approval. Most perfectionists grew up being praised for  achievement and performance (grades, manners, rule following, people  pleasing, appearance, sports). Somewhere along the way, they adopted  this dangerous and debilitating belief system: “I am what what I  accomplish and how well I accomplish it. Please. Perform. Perfect.”

Healthy striving is self-focused: How can I improve?

Perfectionism is other-focused: What will they think?

Perfectionism is a hustle.”

– from Daring Greatly by Brené Brown

Words are incredibly powerful and are insufficient to change our patterns of behaviour. You need to practice doing different if you want to be able to do something other than perfectionism. If you're curious about how I can support you, let's chat!