i've begun to really resent the word "perfectionist." i'm just so tired of being told that wanting to do something to the best of my ability, and not understanding why other people don't, is wrong. how did we get to the point where the desire to do something well is frowned upon? why is it that my standards are too high? why isn't it that other people's standards are too low? all i want is to look at something and know that it's as good as i could make, whatever the value of that "good" is. why is that bad?

perfection comes to us from middle english "(in the sense ‘completeness’): via Old French from Latin perfectio(n-), from perficere ‘to complete’". so its original meaning was simply something that was completed, finished, done. over time its meaning has shifted from its neutral origins to become something hyperbolic and unreachable — an epitome — which is also used to castigate anyone who dares to think quality and excellence are worth striving for.

wanting completeness has become wrong.

the irony is that we live in a world where achieving excellence is still lauded, but only to a certain point. beyond that, it's ridiculed. you're supposed to strive for "success" but not make anyone else "look bad" in the process or something. otherwise people take it as some sort of personal insult, which is just ridiculous.

me wanting to do my best has nothing to do with anyone else. somebody else's best may be better than mine or it may not. either way, i don't give a shit. it isn't about anybody else and it's mind-bogglingly egotistical for someone to assume that it is. if other people are happy to settle for less, they're free to do so, but i refuse to apologise for choosing not to.