"

Cri(iCaJ poi"t in r,h~ de>'dull " '''''i UO'Ls worldvic'" thatille ,,"'''' in' purl""(
thins in life was to achieve perf"'!li()',-
,,~'" are six of Ihe major paths by which trad~rs arrive in the perfec-
lion trap;

I. Perf""Ii()"~Jema,,ding p.=nl<
This, of course, IS Roy's background. !lUI it is a common one. The
faces may \I<' different, but Ihe rl'5uit is (h~ same, Parents are fearful
of llwir own inadequacy al nOi bemg perff."CL Since they were proba-
bly raised in an Nlually crillcal and approval·withholding {,lInronment ,
(h,·y do "01 s..... Ihe harm Ihey art, doing in repeatjng the paUen, "n
(h,-ir in"ocenl child","_
2. ,'ear or fail" .... and It>!IS
Some lrarle ... arrive at the poil\!. or rlemanding perf<>etion in Iheir
trading after pxperie"c.ing the [\ain or I"",. Rather tha" deal ing with
those (..",lings and working their way lhrougb them , Ihey fOfeswear
ever eXjI{'nencing that kind of pain again. Dut. th~ only way!O never
agam experience a trading 10811 is!O become the perfect trdder. Each
time tbe t ....der e);perienees another loss he is even more dctemllnru
!O be I,",,~ "ulnerabl~ by being ",or~ Pt",fecl.
J. Praist- fo r b·e ing Pt"rf...-ct
Thl' reverse of th .. highly ,!riti~a1 family life is th .. o nl' in whid, thl'
dlil'l ig pro~.,..d o,'pr awl over again fur a chil'ving perfectiun-in scl"",1
wilh perfect grades, in spons and performan"" siluations, in solving
problems, or achieving goals. This praise and recognition can come
from parcnts, but It can also co",e from teache,"", coach"", otl,er family
mcmbe", and friend!;, and c,""n from lotal stran~e",. The physiological
","1\ that co"'~"8 f",n' t!~~t kind of IHlILse can imprint 0" a vulneroble
young mind Ihe desire to experienc.e the rush again and again, It is
exa"lly like the reat!tion the brain ha.~ to an addic.tlvp drug.
,I. PerfectimH'hsessed cultural fo"!",,
If you watch television commercials, you wiU hear the word
"perfect" used more and more frequently: perfect weddmgs, perfect
vacation. perfect home, pNfect lawn , perfN:t sunset. In fact , the .... ord
perft"(;t is n~arly ubiquitous in the ad>,t·rtising ba,....Jg~ of ou r ""nS<.-"8_
Spend a day 1\0"'" sid tying on your sofa watching con",,,·,,,ial tck~
>'ision and start counting the tin"... that the word perfect eo'''es up
In the ads. not to ",enlion the prugro"'ming itself. Of <:<>urse, it l~ II0t
just tele,'ision but all the "'M,a that are infected with Ihis notion or
perrection. The n<>lion of ])<,rfection being the endgame ror all human
endea>'ors has taken on a "alue beyond ,ts userulness. But the resuli is
a subcunsciuus inf...-chun in the minds of far lOO "'any,