Perfectionism and internalised criticism

• Card 1

  Perfectionism can look like ambition or diligence from the outside, but underneath it is often the inner critic in disguise — insisting that being good enough is never quite enough, and that mistakes are dangerous rather than ordinary.

• Card 2

  Signs perfectionism may be critic-driven

  • Finished work rarely feels “done” or good enough
  • Mistakes trigger a disproportionate sense of failure or shame
  • Rest feels unsafe unless it has been fully earned
  • Praise is deflected or quickly forgotten; criticism is remembered for years
  • Self-worth seems to rise and fall with performance

  High standards aren't the problem in themselves — it's when they are enforced through fear and self-attack, rather than care, that they start to cost you.

Swipe left or right to move between cards