CAPS forum probes perfection

Despite the recent flurry of programs addressing "effortless perfection," there was standing room only Tuesday afternoon, as nearly 70 students and campus leaders squeezed into the McClendon Tower media room to listen to a presentation entitled "Effortless Perfection at Duke: The Emotional Costs of Perfectionism."

The third monthly installment in a year-long series by Counseling and Psychological Services, the program sought to address the unhealthy consequences of perfectionistic thinking and how to re-adjust perfectionistic attitudes into healthy striving.

"We're not saying that students at Duke shouldn't have high goals," said CAPS Assistant Director John Barrow as he introduced the program's presenters to the audience. "It's rigidly adhering to these goals and having your self-esteem attached to your performance that leads to [an unhealthy form of] perfectionism."

Although each of the eight parts of the series, called "The Shrink is In: Help for the Helpers," was planned a year prior to the publication of the Women's Initiative report, CAPS Director Jim Clack noted that yesterday's program on perfection was particularly influenced by an anonymous column published Oct. 24 in The Chronicle and made the program all the more relevant to Duke students.

Organizers originally wanted to make the presentation humorous, but "it didn't seem appropriate anymore to make light of perfectionism," Clack said, alluding to the anonymous column. "We've had seven phone calls by students calling to say that they know the identity of the anonymous author and all seven people they identified were different. This at least showed that there are a number of people here at Duke dealing with the same issues of achieving perfection."

Dr. Ayesha Chaudhary, clinical associate of psychological and behavioral sciences, noted that although there are a number of unwanted health effects that result from perfectionistic tendencies, perfectionism is a common trap because it is a trait often rewarded in society. "Perfectionism will lead to burnout," she warned, citing the fact that perfectionists are particularly prone to depression, cardiac illness, high blood pressure and excessive anxiety. "Overly high standards are particularly difficult to maintain while here at Duke."

Clack followed Chaudhary along these lines, reminding the audience that 94 percent of matriculating students at Duke come out of the top 10 percent of their high school class. "And you come here assuming that you will remain at the top 10 percent of the class, but statistics can show you now that 90 percent of them won't," he said half jokingly, half seriously.

Yael Goldman, who works at CAPS, spoke about strategies to help change perfectionistic attitudes and how to help people who are perfectionists, such as setting realistic goals, avoiding all-or-nothing thinking and experimenting with the perceived standards for success.