Spellcheck and Perfectionism

Titus Groan

Titus Groan

Peer Supporter
Today I've been thinking about certain aspects of my personality that could provoke symptoms.

I noticed earlier that (on another forum) I was spending WAY too long deliberating over whether to post your standard smiley or a beam smiley on an ultimately insignificant post. I literally had run through my head "the beam smiley on this forum could be seen as smug, I don't want to give the wrong impression".

I also typically triple, nay, quadruple proof read every message/email/post I send to ensure there are NO typos and that the text definitely won't be misunderstood.

Am I nuts or is anyone else like this? Is this normal for a TMSer? Has anyone found a direct link to this sort of perfectionism and pain (Such as RSI) or anxiety? Any tips?
 
OMG, Titus - yes (no, you're not nuts, because yes, many of us are like this), yes, and probably yes to your questions.

I see myself in your post! It's perfectionism, although honestly, I really appreciate anyone here who takes the time to make their post readable. Honestly, I don't have the time or patience to read ones that are full of typos, poor grammar, lack of punctuation, and no formatting. You're more likely to get a response by taking the time to proofread, although it's possible that this is a generational thing :D

That being said, I can spend WAY too much time perfecting a single communication (particularly in my business) so that I feel like I'm getting my point across precisely the way I intend. This isn't just perfectionism, it's probably also a form of procrastination.

"Direct" link is pretty strong, but the reason this forum exists is because Dr. Sarno has convinced most, if not all of us here, that there is a link between the perfectionist personality and TMS.

I have obviously not given up on my perfectionism in many areas - but when it comes to my TMS work, the best thing I ever did was relax and accept the fact that there is no "perfect" or linear way to do this work, because it is extremely individual.

~Jan
 
Double OMG!!! I do the triple check, rereading in different formats to see if I could possibly unintentionally upset/insult anybody at all. I can say/write something in humour but then realise it could be read in a different manner. And Jan scored a direct hit with the procrastination and I might also add a bit of insecurity/low self esteem here, just not confident enough to toss my opinion out there. Love it Titus, wish I could have liked it twice. Right, checked thrice, hit send. Ah but wait ....
 
Procrastination + low self esteem/insecurity sounds on the money. I would maybe even add "Fear of confrontation" to the list - since that's probably a worst case scenario that one would procrastinate to avoid.

It's probably a helpful trait to have, when I'm sending an important email (for example) - but there must be a line somewhere between being a sensible proofreader and being perfectionistic in all areas of communication.

Since it leaks into most areas of life, wastes so much time, is linked to pain and ultimately can lead to overthinking things and sending the wrong thing anyway.... I feel like it's something I should take steps to change!

I kinda feel like Rex right now:

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