The Joy List: The Perfectionism Epidemic

[The Joy List]

Fellow traveler,

Here is this week’s edition of The Joy List. Hope you find it worthwhile.

With joy,
Bolu.

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• How perfectionism became a hidden epidemic among young people

Leading psychologists, Paul Hewitt and Gordon Flett have suggested that one of the ways in which younger people are acting differently to their older peers is by showing a greater tendency toward perfectionism. Broadly speaking, perfectionism is an irrational desire for flawlessness, combined with harsh self-criticism. But on a deeper level, what sets a perfectionist apart from someone who is simply diligent or hard-working is a single-minded need to correct their own imperfections.

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• Time Affluence: Why Doing Less Makes Us Happier

We often say that we don’t have time for the things we truly love and value, when the truth is that we’re likely misspending time on things that we don’t. It helps to start tracking where our time is actually going, and reclaiming chunks for we’d really like to be doing.

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• Yes, you really can work yourself to death

Work provides the means to live, but it’s increasingly clear that the modern workplace can kill, too. Knowing the danger that comes with our desk chair means we can do our best to mitigate the effects of sedentary, sleepless life styles—whether we’re working 100 hours a week making a video game, or spending 100 hours a week playing one. So if you don’t want to be red dead yourself, stand up, stretch, and send your boss this story when you leave work a little early today.