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Issue 3 > In praise of perfectionism.

In praise of perfectionism.

Stephen Diamond suggests 'good for business—a very practical consequence'.

We face a crisis of incompetence…

Perfectionism has taken a bum rap. Were it not for perfectionism, we would be in short supply of all those myriad human activities we deem extraordinary, excellent, outstanding or great in quality.

Indeed, if truth be told, without perfectionism, we would be—and already are here in America, as you may have noticed—suffering from a dearth of competency in general, a virtual epidemic of incompetence at all levels of human endeavor. How have perfectionism and its virtues come to be so devalued and vilified in our day?

Once upon a time perfectionism was perceived not as neurosis, but rather as a sign of commitment, caring, and devotion to one's work, be it manual laborer, mechanic, servant, teacher, sales clerk, CEO, waitperson, chef, filmmaker, actor, screenwriter, author, architect or artist.

The craftsman, for instance, would labor intensively over the task, lovingly tending to every detail in order to create a product of the highest possible quality, and taking considerable pride in the outcome.

Indeed, this pride in producing as perfect a piece as he or she could served not only to enhance the crafter's self-esteem and satisfy the inherent human need to create and contribute, but established and maintained his or her reputation for excellence in the public eye, hence being good for business—a very practical consequence indeed.

Now I am not claiming that such craftsmanship and commitment to excellence no longer exists in our culture. Surely it does, and can be witnessed in the works of the most outstanding members of every profession, vocation, craft or art.

But this attitude, this positive perfectionism, is in decline due, in no small part, to the denigration and devaluation of perfectionism.

Scratch the surface of any great artist, entrepreneur, scientist or politician, and you will likely find a perfectionist. If truth be told, it is in part their perfectionism that makes them great.

Greatness stems from a confluence of perfectionism, talent and drivenness. Even in those of us with somewhat lesser degrees of the innate talent and/or drivenness inherent in the great, perfectionism can call us, if not to greatness, toward a characteristic of perhaps even greater personal and collective importance—competence.

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