Unlike healthy conscientiousness, perfectionism stems from a feeling of “not being good enough.” The goal of flawless performance is to avoid confirming this internal fear of inadequacy, making it a defensive motivation rather than an aspirational one.

Instead of viewing flaws in isolation, see them as the "backswing" of a valuable strength. Perfectionism is the dark side of high standards; conflict avoidance can stem from high empathy. The solution isn't to eliminate the trait, but to learn how to manage its double-edged nature.

Unlike healthy ambition, toxic perfectionism isn't about achieving great things. It's a maladaptive strategy driven by a core belief of being flawed and defective, aiming to "repair" the self to feel worthy and accepted. The motivation is to fix a perceived internal deficit, not to push oneself toward external goals.

Thomas Mueller-Borja views honesty as selfishly practical, as dishonesty is energetically draining. However, he places kindness higher in his value hierarchy. In situations of tension, choosing the kind path may trump absolute honesty, especially when recognizing that everyone holds their own version of the truth.

The flip side of passion is that employees with a strong calling can be tough colleagues. Their intense commitment can manifest as hyper-criticism towards leaders, coworkers, and decisions that conflict with their personal vision, leading to strained team dynamics.

Known as "perfectionistic self-preservation," this paradoxical behavior is driven by the logic that you can't truly fail at something you didn't try. To avoid the intense shame of failing at full effort, perfectionists will procrastinate or underperform intentionally.

People-pleasing is often driven by the "Agreeableness" trait—a fear of being disliked. Genuine altruism is linked to "Honesty-Humility," where helping comes from a stable self-image and authentic concern for others' welfare, making one less susceptible to manipulation.

The belief that perfectionism drives success is a myth. Research shows perfectionistic individuals often have lower income and productivity. The fear of not being perfect leads to paralysis and interferes with performance, contrasting with healthy "excellencism," which is adaptive and focuses on striving rather than flaw-avoidance.

An upbringing focused on perfect scores can manifest as trying to account for every edge case in business. This leads to overly complex, delayed communication and can damage trust with clients and partners, as it signals a lack of collaborative confidence.