Pros and Cons of being a Perfectionist?

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I took a math exam today and missed 1 question. I feel devastated inside. We have the option of taking it again twice more and the scores will be averaged out. I'm considering doing it so as to raise my test score from a 96.7% to a 98.9%... Is this O.C.D.?

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@brokencdplayer,

No it's not OCD, but it's probably not a good use of your time or energy. You missed one out of thirty questions, so let's say your probability of missing a problem is 3.3%. I'm sure you think it's lower, but let's just go with the data we have. The probability of getting 100% is 36%. There is a 37% chance of you missing one question. That means the chance of making your score worse is 27%. Use those perfectionist tendencies to study the next chapter.

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@brokencdplayer,

There's nothing wrong with trying to better your score, but the chance of you getting a better score on the next two isn't 100%. People make mistakes. I get disappointed getting anything less than 100 also, but I don't degrade myself over it. No use in worrying. An A is always better than an A-, so don't worry (:

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If you're devestated by getting one question wrong, you're going to have a tough row to hoe in life.

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@chai2,

so true

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@brokencdplayer,

Well... OCD is a clinical disorder. There is no way to make such a determination over the Internet.

But, it is compulsive.

The goal of studying math is to learn. Is taking the test against going to help you learn (more than if you read the studied more or solved problems from the book)?

Obsessing about it certainly does nothing to help you learn.

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You have to decide if you want to put that much energy into this one challenge, or if it's better to move on. What will really change if you do get the higher score? Will you have learned anything?

Will you be able to see the error(s) and learn from it? Only then will your score get better.

We have a saying around my house: "It's good enough for who it's for"

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@brokencdplayer,

There are "exams" and "exams".

I was told by a graduate that one of the mathematics papers at Cambridge had instructions "answer as many or as few questions as you wish according to the detail you think they merit ".

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@brokencdplayer,

The problem with being a perfectionist is that perfection is impossible to attain.Therefore, the perfectionist is perpetually unhappy abd frustrated.

Think about it. If you had gotten all of the questions right, it would only mean that you happen to know the answers to the questions that the teacher picked for the exam. It does not mean that you have 100% knowledge of the subject matter.

Relax, and do the best that you can without taking it to excessive lengths. Be an excellent student (as you seem to be) without letting it take over your entire life. Doing so is exhausting, and counterproductive.

As far as O.C.D. is concerned, are there any other behaviors of yours that would indicate that you had that problem? Here are some of the manifestations of OCD. If you have a number of symptoms of OCD, there are therapists who specialize in working through these problems with people.

Do you ever watch "Monk"? He is the ultimate obsessive compulsive, taken to comic lengths. Are you anything like Monk?

Quote:

Typical Obsessions
Obsessions are recurrent, intrusive, and unwanted thoughts, impulses, or images that cause significant anxiety. At first the obsession may be experienced as relatively benign. Over time, the person associates it with fear and disabling anxiety. Obsessions fall into the following common thematic categories:

Fear of contamination with dirt, germs, or poisons
Fear of having a serious illness
Fear that one's actions hurt other people or cause bad things to happen
Inability to discard useless items (hoarding)
Inappropriate sexual and aggressive thoughts and images
Need for symmetry, order, or exactness

http://www.mentalhealthchannel.net/ocd/symptoms.shtml

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Pros and Cons of being a Perfectionist?

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