A perfectionist is a person who refuses to accept any standard short of perfection. In psychology, perfectionism is a personality trait characterized by “a person’s striving for flawlessness and setting excessively high performance standards, accompanied by overly critical self-evaluations and concerns regarding others’ evaluations.”[1] To a perfectionist, anything that’s less than perfect is unacceptable (Celeste Chua, Personal Excellence/Wikipedia)
What does the research say? The National Association of Gifted Children (NAGC) has some good information for families and students about perfectionism. Read more here! Another great source of information on perfectionism in the gifted is The Davidson Institute. One of the articles found in their library can help you learn more about Helping Gifted Students Cope with Perfectionism.
