Perfectionists die younger.
Cruel, isn't it.
Psychologists followed 450 pensioners for six years.
The ones with the highest standards were the first to go.
More good is thought to be better. And why wouldn't it be?
Eat better. Train harder. Sleep cleaner.
And it is. Up to a point.
Then you've had too much of a good thing.
Eating healthy is good for you.
Until it's orthorexia.
Hydration is good for you.
Until it's hyponatraemia.
The harder we strive, the bigger the cognitive dissonance.
We grow a gap between where we are and where we want to be.
And we pay for it in cortisol.
A constant hum of not quite good enough.
Chasing the perfect habit is exactly how to lose it.
Whereas enjoyment keeps a habit going for decades.
The only timescale longevity cares about.
Too much good is bad. So a little bad is good.
It turns out slacking off is a productivity hack.
The longevity move isn't trying harder.
It's letting ourselves do things badly.
Half a job is still a job. Take the win.
Like Nike said, Just Do It (somewhat badly).
But do it for years.
Good enough is good enough for decades.
For perfection is a trap.
References:
Perfectionism and the five factor personality traits as predictors of mortality in older adults (Fry and Debats, Journal of Health Psychology, 2009)
Being a perfectionist can take a toll on health (NBC News; plain English coverage of the study, includes the 51% figure)
Orthorexia as an eating disorder spectrum, a review of the literature (2024)
On orthorexia nervosa: a review of the literature and proposed diagnostic criteria (Dunn and Bratman, Eating Behaviors, 2016)
Exercise, physical activity, and self-determination theory: a systematic review (Teixeira et al, IJBNPA, 2012)
Cruel, isn't it.
Psychologists followed 450 pensioners for six years.
The ones with the highest standards were the first to go.
More good is thought to be better. And why wouldn't it be?
Eat better. Train harder. Sleep cleaner.
And it is. Up to a point.
Then you've had too much of a good thing.
Eating healthy is good for you.
Until it's orthorexia.
Hydration is good for you.
Until it's hyponatraemia.
The harder we strive, the bigger the cognitive dissonance.
We grow a gap between where we are and where we want to be.
And we pay for it in cortisol.
A constant hum of not quite good enough.
Chasing the perfect habit is exactly how to lose it.
Whereas enjoyment keeps a habit going for decades.
The only timescale longevity cares about.
Too much good is bad. So a little bad is good.
It turns out slacking off is a productivity hack.
The longevity move isn't trying harder.
It's letting ourselves do things badly.
Half a job is still a job. Take the win.
Like Nike said, Just Do It (somewhat badly).
But do it for years.
Good enough is good enough for decades.
For perfection is a trap.
References:
Perfectionism and the five factor personality traits as predictors of mortality in older adults (Fry and Debats, Journal of Health Psychology, 2009)
Being a perfectionist can take a toll on health (NBC News; plain English coverage of the study, includes the 51% figure)
Orthorexia as an eating disorder spectrum, a review of the literature (2024)
On orthorexia nervosa: a review of the literature and proposed diagnostic criteria (Dunn and Bratman, Eating Behaviors, 2016)
Exercise, physical activity, and self-determination theory: a systematic review (Teixeira et al, IJBNPA, 2012)
