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Engl-117 Essay 1
Engl-117 Essay 1
Andrew Tran
Mr. Shackett
ENGL-117-9273
Perfectionism
Ever since I was a child, I was told that I had been somewhat aggressive and sloppy when
performing simple tasks. But that had quickly changed around the age of 10 with the influence of
my parents and other relatives. I started to notice that I had transformed into a perfectionist. A
perfectionist is someone who refuses to accept any standard short of perfection. My uncle
identified this characteristic as the “driver” trait and demonstrated to me its potential as a
strength, but also as a perceived weakness. Moreover, he showed me how to wield this as a
strength and to control it as a weakness. In my current state, the “driver” trait has molded into a
perceived strength by making me assertive as well as obsessive, but also it can manifest into a
At initial thought, perfectionism, or the “driver” trait, seemed like a positive attribute that
I acquire. But as I perform more group projects and activities like in-class presentations and
swim team, I discovered that being a perfectionist can have its set-backs and disadvantages.
Perfectionism can become a weakness for me by making me reserved when trying new things
due to the fact that I fear failure. I try to stay on the path of the status quo, the path that is normal
and comfortable for me to ensure that I will succeed a hundred percent of the time. I will not
stray too far from the guided path nor perform something that is too risky. For example,
whenever I had a project or paper in school, I would always have the rubric or guidelines next to
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me through the whole process of making that project. I would never do something the rubric did
not say to do; if it was on the rubric, I would put it in my project or paper.
her essay “Why We Fear The Blind”, Rosemary Mahoney states, “Aversion toward the blind
exists for the same reason that most prejudices exist: lack of knowledge. Ignorance is a powerful
generator of fear. And fear slides easily into aggression and contempt” (298). Basically,
Mahoney explains that not knowing one’s background can make us selfish and angry when they
can not perform to your own standards. When things or tasks being performed are not going
according to plan, I also tend to become very frustrated at myself and those who are involved
before I even get to know what the exact problem is. This frustration could then be elevated into
a steaming anger. For example, when my friends and I played a heated pickup game of
basketball, one of them would always let his man score on him and cost us the game. I was
frustrated at our lack of perfect communication and connected chemistry, but later I found out
that he had been injured during the game and felt bad.
Even though it has its disadvantages, perfectionism made me strive for the highest grade
possible and never settle for an average rating in school and other extracurricular activities. This
trait becomes a potential strength by making me into an assertive individual. In her essay “On
Living with Depression, and the Dangers of Our Culture of Silence”, Udoka Okafor explains, “I
was only able to survive because I had someone who did not trivialize my pain through silence,
ostracism, and criminalization” (311). In other words, Okafor believes that you should be able to
break down any obstacles in your way and always take control of your life because no one else
can. To strive for perfection, I tend to take the reigns of the task at hand and take control of the
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majority of the project. For example, during any in-class group activities, most of the time I take
the lead because I only trust myself to perform at the highest level, which will instill drive into
what I do. In “Cognitive Outlaws”, Carol Greider states, “ [Learning problems] don’t have to be
obstacles to getting what you want. There are ways to compensate. Persevere. Do what you love
and you’ll find ways to get it done” (305). Greider’s point is that problems you face in real life
do not have to become obstacles for you if you do not let them. For me, only the job I need to
complete is clouding my mind, making me focused and all my energy is geared toward getting
the best rating and overcoming any obstacles that stand in the way. For example, whenever I
have homework assigned to me, even if it is due in a week, I will still try to complete it as soon
watching Youtube videos, I start to feel guilty that I am not spending my time correctly and that
Throughout my life, my parents and relatives have taught me life lessons which molded
me into a perfectionist. But through this journey, I learned that perfectionism could be both a
well as obsessed with what I do, but it becomes a potential weakness by making me reserved and
short tempered. I gained insight into how things can be both a strength and a weakness. Even
though at initial thought something might seem like a good thing, it could also come with its
negative side. Advice I would give to others is to know everything has its pros and cons, even if
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it might seem like a good or bad thing. Another piece of advice is to play everything you have to