I wasn't born a perfectionist; I was conditioned to be a perfectionist.

Yeah, I was one of those kids that brought home school report cards with all A's and one B. My father would exclusively focus on the B, and I always felt like a failure. And he kept doing things like that. Over and over.

I began to hold myself to very high standards (which, per se, isn't bad), but I obsessed over ambiguity (uncertainty). I started seeing the world in black or white terms, and I was unable to have flexibility, adaptability, and creativity. I was not happy, and had a tendency to quit on my goals if I did anything that was a mistake.

I dropped out of high school in the 10th grade due to my refusal to conform to the rules. I was able to attain a GED the next year because all I had to do was memorize answers to questions. I went to community college for two years and was able to graduate, but I struggled. In a creative writing class, I refused to have my paper critiqued by my peers (I thought it was perfect). I received a B in that class due to my rigid thinking. I transferred to a state university and was able to graduate, but I had many struggles due to my obsession with defending my positions on issues (you can't learn when you are defending your position).

I had a fairly successful military career, but never really saw it that way. Anytime I made a mistake I was overly critical of myself. My lack of adaptability hindered the latter part of my military career. Now I'm 100%, service-connected disabled.

I never understood this question until about 5 years ago: What do you call the person who graduates last in their medical school? Doctor.

If you have struggled with perfectionism like I have, here's a link that has helped me--and I hope it helps you:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/arti...-perfectionism