Are you the type that things have to be perfect

[ER Eddie]

Yes, and there are several typos in your OP that are driving me nuts.

Actually, no. I used to be more obsessive-compulsive, but I realized the pressure it put on me and others, and I worked on it. Seeing the psychological dynamics behind it really helped me shake loose (e.g., fear of making mistakes, conformity to externally imposed standards, fear of loss of control, etc.). Life without that o-c/perfectionism stuff is a life that is more free, independent, creative, and authentic.

I also remember -- and this is a little silly -- the observation that if a person is o-c in normal interactions, they're probably no fun in bed. That was a motive for change, too, lol.

 

[Dawg52]

You better not own a black lab if you're the perfection type. Mine is a shedding machine. Plus paw prints, drool stains etc....not for one's seeking perfection.

 

[aja8888]

We have a distant neighbor who, first thing every morning, blows the stuff that’s fallen on her driveway into the street, then sweeps the street in front of her house into a dustbin to put in the trash. The inside of her house must be immaculate!

I swear her TWIN SISTER is my next door neighbor (72 year old widow). Not only does she do what you said, but DURING HURRICANE HARVEY last summer, she was seen in her driveway in the rain trying to blow the pine needles off the concrete as they blew down.

She is so OCD that when the moles were eating underground grubs in her back yard and leaving tunnels along the ground, and after many attempts to thwart them, she ended up installing artificial grass in the areas that were under attack. Spent thousands!

 

[Bryan Barnfellow]

I tend towards a need for perfection at times...it's selective however. But my wife helped me enormously once while we were having our new flat renovated. I labored many hundreds of hours over every last detail of design and execution. Once we moved in, we made a mark or two in our pristine maple wood floors (things like a tiny dent from dropping something). I was going over the edge about this and she suggested that I think about the "damage" this way: "It's just evidence of our wonderful life together in the flat." Cured me overnight!

-BB

 

[albireo13]

perfection is the enemy of good and ... comparison is the enemy of of joy


Life happens ... it's all organic and our pitiful obsession with order and neatness is just anecdotal information to the universe.

 

[BigNick]

Economists (and psychologists) distinguish between "satisficers" (a horrible word; no typo!) and "maximizers". Satisficers buy the first product that meets their basic requirements; maximizers want The Best each time. I suspect that LBYM is strongly correlated with satisficing.

 

[Teacher Terry]

4 years ago my son gave us his 80 lb husky/Shepherd mix that is a shedding machine. I never had any furniture covered before because we were Maltese people. Since he is old he now drools over the anticipation of treats. Ten minutes after sweeping his hair is on the floor. However, he is the kindest, most loving and loyal dog I have ever had. If someone broke in I pity the fool.

 

[ugeauxgirl]

I have ADHD, which is incompatible with OCD I think. I've had to learn to live with things being messy, lost, etc. Its fine. One of my best friends is a neighbor I met when we built this house 5 or 6 years ago. One of the funniest things she ever said to me, is that by being my friend she has discovered that its not the end of the world if someone comes over and your house is a mess. LOL- I think she meant it as a compliment. I took it as such. I told her if she's coming over to see ME, she can come by anytime. If she wants to inspect my house she should come every other Thursday after the cleaning lady comes!

 

[Scuba]

Both DH and I are kind of neat/clean freaks, but getting a dog helped us get over perfectionism. With a dog comes dog hair, dog toys, dog beds, etc. and we love our dog more than we love a perfectly neat and clean home. It’s still pretty neat and clean, but we don’t obsess about it.

 

[albireo13]

I gave up being a neat freak after 5 kids and a host of pets and animals (cats, dogs, chickens, turkeys, flying squirrels, mice, etc). The house has been anointed by every bodily function imaginable .... and then some.

 

[Mdlerth]

Good is the enemy of perfect. Kids and dogs are, too.

I gave up being a neat freak after 5 kids and a host of pets and animals (cats, dogs, chickens, turkeys, flying squirrels, mice, etc). The house has been anointed by every bodily function imaginable .... and then some.

I can't see how anybody raises a family without severe collateral damage. I've never had any nice things stay nice. Cars, furniture, appliances; they all fell victim to children and pets.

But all of those possessions were just... possessions. They're meant to be temporary. Children are our immortality!

 

[Bir48die]

I have spent countless years perfecting being a slob. My wife is OCD so every now and again I'll peek in my dresser only to find my skivvies neatly folded and arranged. Life is so good.