Perfectionism, in psychology, is a type of personality where there is a need for oneself or others to be the best in any given part of life. There are only two outcomes; anything less than perfect is taken to be unacceptable. The belief holds that one can achieve perfection and should aim for it. A person who believes this is called a perfectionist.
At first, some consider perfectionism as helpful. Perfectionism can lead people to achieve great things and give them motivation. However, it is considered to be a belief that is mostly unhealthy and harmful. Perfectionism makes people set goals that are unrealistic and cannot be reached. This leads to many problems like depression, anxiety, eating disorders and low self-esteem. Perfectionism may also lead to procrastination as it allows one to avoid being less than perfect ("I can't do this project until I can do it the right way."). This can mean low productivity.
Perfectionistic behaviour is growing in the newer generation. Perfectionism has received more attention by popular sayings like “practice makes perfect”. There are also more and more people who see themselves as a perfectionist. These people also mentioned their difficulties which comes with this behaviour.