"Exaggeration is one of the core features of perfectionism and, more broadly, of obsessiveness. The neutral is exaggerated along with the objectively good and bad. When hearing about a patient's conflicts and trials, therapists, at some point, may ask, "How much of this has you in it, whether your manifest contribution or interpretation?" With the space to reflect, some discover how their minds inform the drama of their lives."
"When comparing themselves to someone they believe to be aesthetically superior, the individual's flaws are heightened while the purportedly superior one's flaws are minimized (with the accompanying act of glamorizing their positive traits). Conversely, when comparing to someone they believe to be aesthetically inferior, the opposite is true: They magnify their positive traits, and the others' flaws are seen to disqualify them altogether."
Exaggeration is a core feature of perfectionism and broader obsessiveness, causing neutral, good, and bad aspects to be overstated. Perfectionists use negative, exaggerated comparisons to motivate achievement, but those comparisons can both steal joy and serve as a harbinger of it. Reflection can reveal how minds inflate drama, misinterpret others' intent, and create chronic patterns of extreme perception. Exaggeration underlies body dysmorphia by intensifying perceived flaws and minimizing others', while reverse comparisons amplify self-worth against those seen as inferior. Such distorted comparisons disconnect experience from reality and reinforce extremes that undermine well-being.
Read at Psychology Today
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