The 2026 Winter Olympics gave an important message to the world. Alysa Liu, a professional figure skater who in 2022 retired at the age of 16—leaving behind what she loved the most—came back with one goal: the gold medal. She gave an outstanding performance. Her routine was perfect and her song selection “Promise” by Laufey impressed millions. She skated with passion, she connected with her audience and all thanks to her seek for perfectionism. She was quoted as saying, “I love struggling, actually. It makes me feel alive”
Although perfectionism is often viewed negatively, it is still ultimately beneficial because it promotes discipline, drives individuals to achieve high standards, and encourages continuous self-improvement. Society has a simplistic overview of perfectionism. They all think of perfectionism as a threat to freedom, their mental health, and also their self-esteem, but they don’t understand that to a certain point the benefits of perfectionism outweigh its potential drawbacks.
Southeast Asian cultures, such as the one found in North Korea, altered the meaning of perfectionism. A government cannot overtake absolute control over a place —taking over the liberty and independence of individuals—in order to achieve “perfection” at the expense of others’ suffering. That is not what perfectionism is about. Totalitarian dictatorships are not part of the overall meaning of perfectionism. In contrast, striking a balance between the good and the wrong is a step towards perfectionism. Discipline, as an example, is a valuable trait to have. Considering yourself a perfectionist busts your motivation—the spark of discipline— which has a huge impact on an individual’s mindset. Although motivation doesn’t last forever, discipline does. Building a routine based on perfectionism is trying to have the “perfect” schedule that includes not only working hours, or study sessions but also hobbies that people enjoy. Perfectionism improves time management and doesn’t necessarily need to affect people’s mental health, it actually does the opposite. If someone knows how to manage their own time, it makes it even easier to perform certain activities. The overall point of perfectionism is not to limit someone’s freedom but rather to stop them from wasting time on unnecessary things. That is what perfectionism is about.
Over the years, countries have been seeking for one thing: power. How do they achieve this power? By working as a whole and by portraying themselves as an overly advanced nation. Perfectionism is about driving towards success. The United States for example, became a major world power due to their aerospace and gunnery industry (particularly from World War II onward). Building these technologies is not easy work. They need to set high standards for high outcomes. What happens if something goes wrong? Chaos happens. One of the first moon landing launchings was Apollo I. Three men died. All because of one small mistake. Perfectionism prevents chaos. It prevents catastrophes.
The Artemis II mission, on the other hand, was well prepared for any inconvenience that might happen. The boarding crew was well trained and ready for anything that could go wrong. Teamwork is essential in these cases, trying to achieve perfectionism reinforces this trait. Perfectionists create an environment in schools and workplaces where connecting and cooperating with others is required in order to get to the end goal.
Nowadays China has really high standards on their school system. Kids study for hours and attend extracurricular activities in order to build up their skills. They are also expected to play at least one instrument and perfect it in any way or another. This might look harsh, however, these high standards and desire for perfectionism encourage continuous self-improvement. China is currently one of the most technological advanced countries with a high- speed rail system and cutting edge innovations through companies like Huawei and things that for others might seem impossible to achieve. Space engineering and technological improvements nationwide have proven that when individuals or societies set high standards and try striving for precision, they are most likely to produce higher-quality results and achieve long-term success.
Overall, the positives of perfectionism in the world are miles above the negatives. Perfectionism does not only benefit one. It pushes groups of people to work hard, benefiting everyone, making society a better place. And although no one knows what the future withholds, striving for perfection lights that internal hope to find the meaning of the unknown.