The Perfectionism Trap

Your book “Perfektionismus, Imposter-Phänomen und Prokrastination” (Perfectionism, Impostor Phenomenon and Procrastination)[1] was recently published (2025). What makes it so topical?

Stefanie Rödel: In this book, we focus on perfectionism as a root cause of many issues – not in isolation, but in conjunction with the impostor phenomenon and procrastination, concentrating on their non-clinical manifestations. We also explore both sides of perfectionism: adaptive and maladaptive. Adaptive perfectionism involves setting ambitious goals, but also the ability to find satisfaction in what has already been achieved. Maladaptive perfectionism, however, is characterised by rigid and also high, unrealistic standards. Individuals cannot enjoy their personal achievements and remain uncertain.

When perfectionism becomes excessive, it can turn compulsive – leading to adverse consequences for individuals and those around them. In an era where self-improvement has become imperative across various areas of life, these negative forms are becoming increasingly prevalent.

As a result, we also looked to examine perfectionism within social and organisational contexts. Concepts like performance, social media, remote work and New Work are central here. New Work, for instance, is also a major theme in adult learning and education. Yet its darker aspects – particularly in relation to perfectionism – are often overlooked, not least due to a lack of awareness among those affected and also staff involved in adult learning and education. We tried to shed light on this matter and show ways in which educators, HR developers, coaches and managers can handle the phenomenon. 

How are the big three factors of perfectionism, the impostor phenomenon and procrastination interconnected?

This often leads to a problematic triangle – particularly in high-performance environments such as studies, the workplace, leadership and also in adult learning and education. We believe perfectionism is often the starting point. It begins with excessive demands people place on themselves to avoid mistakes at all costs. 

Perfectionism can be divided into three main types: first of all, where people have very high standards for themselves. Or expect very high standards from others. And finally, there is socially prescribed perfectionism. In this case, individuals believe others expect very high standards from them and try, often unsuccessfully, to meet these expectations.

When perfectionism serves as a foundation, it can intensify the feeling of being an impostor. If someone feels they are an impostor, they tend to downplay rather than exaggerate their achievements. Those affected often feel they do not deserve the success they have had. Despite clear successes and competences, they doubt their abilities and fear being exposed as frauds. There are many people who are perfectionists but do not suffer from the imposter phenomenon. Conversely, people who suffer from the imposter phenomenon are, in very many cases, perfectionists. In such cases, perfectionism becomes a strategy to make up for perceived inadequacy. A huge amount of effort is invested in something, but self-confidence fails to develop. This leads to a great deal of emotional exhaustion.

Procrastination refers to the conscious or unconscious postponement of important tasks. Perfectionism can lead to this because people are afraid of not being perfect. The idea is that if I don’t start at all, then I can’t fail. To protect themselves, people avoid the task and, at the same time, put themselves under huge pressure.

How widespread is perfectionism? The English psychologist Thomas Curran[2], who carried out a major field study on the matter, even refers to it as a hidden epidemic.

It is very widespread. In my coaching practice, I encounter many clients suffering from perfectionism. The impostor phenomenon also appears frequently – without people being aware of it. It is therefore a great relief for many of those affected to learn that they are not the only ones. Simply saying it out loud, naming it and recognising that there are ways out is a release for many people. 

In adult learning and education settings, we also encounter perfectionism frequently.Some individuals often pursue one training course after another. Collecting certificates, as it were. But those affected still doubt their worth, despite what is written on paper.

What consequences can this have? For individuals and those around them.

If we look at individuals, people often suffer in silence. It is something people are reluctant to talk about. Many also lack awareness of their own suffering. People seek counselling when they are on the verge of burnout, for example. They experience performance blocks caused by fear of imperfection. This leads to people delaying starting work, to procrastination. Or they spend a huge amount of time preparing for tasks. Stress and exhaustion follow because of the unrelenting pressure.

Self-sabotage is another issue. If we look at university dropouts, for example, many have the cognitive capacity to successfully complete their studies. Their inner struggles, however, mean they do not make it to the end of their course. They avoid risks and unfamiliar situations and limit themselves more and more until they eventually drop out.

This behaviour can also be seen as part of teamwork in companies. Excessive criticism – whether from team members or managers – leads to the same phenomena. This then manifests itself in micromanagement, which can really demotivate employees. A perfectionist manager can become a source of stress for employees – not only because of their constantly high standards, but also because others believe they have to behave in the same way as them. This, too, can lead to burnout.

Or, ultimately, those affected refuse to take part entirely.

Yes. It is a vicious cycle in which the individual factors constantly reinforce each other. 

Socially prescribed perfectionism often causes the greatest psychological stress because those affected often react by over-adapting. Ultimately, they withdraw entirely.

In principle, one single person in a team is enough to set a downward spiral in motion. Is this true?

Yes, it’s true. That’s why it’s important to examine how the management is structured and identify any warning signs.

Where do the roots of perfectionism lie? In childhood?

Childhood is certainly a key factor. When parents place very high expectations on their children or exert excessive control, the children will at some point develop a fear of doing everything wrong. This can also happen when parents give praise only for results, not for effort or perseverance. If the parents themselves are perfectionists, that, too, has an influence on the children.

But if we look at the available resources, we also have to consider social and cultural influences. Our culture of performance and comparison plays a major role. In school, too, children are influenced at an early stage. Children are assessed according to criteria that they do not always understand and, in some cases, are not objective either.

In our neoliberal performance society, in turn, the ideal of the entrepreneurial self prevails. We must market ourselves in the best way possible, which generates constant pressure to improve.Social media contribute to this. Our digital selves are highly dependent on how many likes we get. The evaluation criteria for ourselves are becoming externally defined. It is becoming increasingly difficult to feel we are enough, to be satisfied with our own achievements.

I assume everything is interconnected. Optimisation, social media, educational pressure, excessive expectations from managers.

Of course. These things cannot be viewed in isolation. It is a mix of early influences, individual tendencies, and social and organisational factors. The complexity is what makes this phenomenon so fascinating because there are various ways of approaching it.

If I believe that doing everything perfectly is the only way for me to avoid negative consequences, I might become more perfectionistic than I was before.  If avoiding mistakes becomes the priority, I might begin by sweeping these under the carpet.

But learning from mistakes is important. If people are not allowed to make mistakes, there is no culture of learning but rather a culture that makes people avoid making mistakes. If there is high pressure to perform and people are given recognition only when they deliver perfection, this fosters a feeling of failure. Developing a feeling of self-efficacy or success becomes much harder. When everything is predetermined, standards are narrowly defined and people are constantly monitored, the motivation to be self-reliant disappears.

Sometimes adult learning and education becomes a requirement rather than a choice. What are the potential consequences for people with perfectionist tendencies?

If I attend an adult education programme not out of personal interest but as part of a self-imposed or externally driven push for self-improvement, learning becomes a performance requirement and loses its significance for personal growth.  Learning is no longer to discover something new or perhaps to develop another facet of our personality, to surpass ourselves, it is done out of fear of not being enough. People fear that the product – the people themselves – is no longer interesting and is being left behind. If the only motivation when learning is to remain competitive, this leads to pressure that can have negative consequences. Doing nothing at all is, of course, not an option either.

You mentioned the importance of motivation in adult learning and education. What about the goals when attending adult education programmes?

Sometimes these are astonishingly excessive, including in the sense of learning promises that sound great and sell well. This also leads to stress because people feel they are not up to the task, and will never be able to deal with it.

So, in this sense, superlatives can be disastrous?

Under some circumstances, they deprive individuals of a sense of achievement and replace it with frustration because they feel they have not achieved their objective.

Or people avoid adult learning and education altogether.

Procrastination then sets in. Or the impostor phenomenon takes over, with people fearing exposure when pursuing adult learning and education; because they fear others might realise they are not as competent as they seem.

Academic studies show perfectionism is common among young people in particular. Is it a generational issue?

I think the logic of self-optimisation is more pronounced in younger people because they are much more deeply embedded in the comparison culture of the digital world. They are more conditioned to receiving rewards by presenting and comparing themselves.  There are enough studies that show what happens physiologically in the brain when I receive a like.

Looking ahead, what do you see as the biggest challenges when dealing with perfectionism and the two other phenomena associated with it?

I assume the pressure to perform will continue to increase, and there will be a further shift in labour markets. Young people are already expected to have accomplished a great deal early in their lives. They need to have completed their studies, spent time abroad, gained work experience and much more. I often see very young managers, under the age of 30, who have really worn themselves out but still lack emotional maturity and balance. The risk of burnout is correspondingly high. At the same time, we are living longer. Finding the right balance between self-care, self-management and self-optimisation is difficult. But it is essential.

We are living longer, but at the same time people have to achieve everything early in life. It’s as if we have to deal with different speeds. How should we deal with this, not least in adult learning and education?

It is a development that is authentic and not driven by compulsive self-improvement. Adult learning and education should therefore be seen as an opportunity for personal growth.

Looking at certain developments, however, personal development in adult learning and education seems to be taking a back seat. The trend towards micro-credentials, for example, which focus on specific individual skills and short learning units, means that personal development hardly plays a role.

I believe this, too. This is why it is so important to remain aware of what people personally need to develop, and not to focus solely on competitiveness.

That would require adult learning and education or coaching to create space for this.

Absolutely. A lot can be gained if I as a manager ensure mistakes become learning opportunities. And if effort is valued – not just results – the pressure to be perfect may be reduced.

Do you see any trends on the horizon that give hope for positive developments?

People are really exhausted. After COVID, we saw a sharp rise in mental disorders and illnesses. Many people suffer from long-term illnesses, are unable to recover and are exposed to intense psychological stress. Combined with our social media culture, this is very troubling.Unless we head in a different direction, the problems will increase rather than decrease. We need to ask where can we begin – in schools, at home as parents, at workplaces? We have many potential starting points to contain perfectionism so that it does not, as Curran suggests, become an epidemic. Or if we already have an epidemic, we need to get it under control and preserve our mental health. I don’t believe we can eliminate the phenomenon entirely, but we can learn to deal with it in a healthy, productive way.

[1] Perfektionismus, Imposter-Phänomen und Prokrastination. Perspektiven, Zusammenhänge und Lösungsansätze für Personalentwicklung und Beratung. Editors Stefanie Rödel, Magdalena Bathen-Gabriel, Katharina-Maria Rehfeld. Springer Gabler Wiesbaden 2025.

[2] Thomas Curran, Andrew P. Hill. Perfectionism Is Increasing Over Time: A Meta-Analysis of Birth Cohort Differences From 1989 to 2016. In: Psychological Bulletin, 145 (4). December 2017.