Moral perfectionism causes individuals to feel an intense sense of guilt rooted in flawed perspectives. This burden is particularly evident in perfectionists who believe their actions greatly impact those around them. Children in dysfunctional homes often feel their emotional influence is critical, leading them to develop a blueprint for survival centered around success and failure. This perspective may make them feel powerful, as though their choices are paramount, while overlooking randomness and external factors in life.
Where love isn't, a sense of guilt tends to be. Our patients, the perfectionists, to be specific, tend to feel burdened by an inordinate and overwhelming amount of it.
Moral perfectionists carry the weight of the world on their shoulders, believing that their deeds profoundly affect those around them. Everything feels as though it matters immensely.
Children growing up in homes with at least one highly reactive parent tend to feel that their role is shaped by duty and thoughtfulness; any deviation could have catastrophic consequences.
Moral perfectionism becomes the blueprint for survival and meaning, where each day is marked by success or failure, based on one's emotional impact on the caregiver.
Collection
[
|
...
]