When ‘Perfect’ Becomes the Enemy: Understanding Clinical Perfectionism in Humanitarian Work

Psychosocial & Wellbeing Lead // BEN PORTER

What is perfectionism and why does it thrive in humanitarian work? Does it tent to help or hinder performance? And what can be done about it? Here our Psychosocial and Wellbeing Lead BEN PORTER explores these questions.

Sarah had spent five years coordinating emergency response programs across East Africa. Her reports were meticulous, her project timelines flawless, and her dedication unquestionable. Yet she found herself awake at 2 AM, rewriting emails for the third time, paralysed by the fear that a single imperfect communication might derail an entire initiative.

When her organisation offered her a promotion, she turned it down—not because she didn’t want it, but because she couldn’t imagine taking on more responsibilities without being able to execute them perfectly.

Sarah’s story illustrates what psychologist Roz Shafran defines as clinical perfectionism: the setting of, and striving to meet, very demanding standards that are self-imposed and relentlessly pursued despite causing problems. It involves basing your self-worth almost exclusively on how well these high standards are pursued and achieved.

Why Perfectionism Thrives in Purpose-Driven Work

Humanitarian work seems to attract perfectionists like moths to a flame. When the stakes involve human lives and dignity, the drive to give 100% feels not just admirable but morally necessary. People conflate their identities with their vocation, thinking “if I’m not perfect at this work, then who am I?”. The moral weight of the work makes it feel like every task is non-negotiable, because it all matters.

But here’s the paradox: while perfectionists believe their exacting standards drive their success, research shows perfectionism actually impairs performance through procrastination, fear of failure, and reduced creativity. Sarah spent hours perfecting grant applications that could have been submitted days earlier with “merely” excellent work.

The Many Faces of the Inner Critic

Perfectionism doesn’t look the same for everyone. For some, it’s an internalised bully—a relentless inner voice that belittles every effort. For others, it manifests externally in harsh judgment of colleagues. Interestingly, humanitarian workers often show remarkable compassion toward staff from another country, while being ruthlessly critical of those from their own country, perhaps due to perceived privilege or unconscious competition for social rank.

The perfectionist mind operates in rigid, all-or-nothing terms. Sarah could completely disconnect on vacation, but the moment she returned to work, anything less than perfect felt like failure. This binary thinking creates an exhausting existence with no middle ground.

The Hidden Cost

Clinical perfectionism leads to depression, anxiety, burnout, eating difficulties, and strained relationships. There’s also what researchers call “failed reciprocity”—the exhaustion and embitterment that happens when devotion to a cause fails to yield expected rewards. Sarah had sacrificed relationships, health, and joy, expecting that her perfect performance would create perfect outcomes. When crises still happened and projects still faced setbacks, she felt a bitter sense of injustice.

Perhaps most insidious is how perfectionism masquerades as virtue. Overwork can feel noble, like “I spent myself in service.” But beneath this badge of honour lies a deeper discontent—an inner sense of inadequacy that saps vital energy and wholeness.

A Path Forward

Recovery from perfectionism doesn’t mean lowering standards or caring less. It means recognising that perfectionism isn’t helping you succeed—it’s holding you back. Therapeutic approaches like Compassion Focused Therapy encourage becoming acquainted with your inner critic: Where did this voice come from? What does it sound like? Is it actually motivating you, or just relentlessly belittling you?

Practical strategies include experimenting with “good enough,” trying to work at 80% capacity, and building self-complexity by investing in life outside your vocation. One helpful reframe: notice frustration with curiosity rather than self-attack. “How fascinating that I’m struggling with this” creates space that “I’m failing at this” cannot.

For Sarah, change began when she realised her perfectionism wasn’t protecting the people she served—it was preventing her from being fully present with them. Recovery is possible when we stop treating ourselves as projects to perfect and start treating ourselves with the same compassion we’d offer someone we’re trying to help.

Do you need to work through your own perfectionism? Explore our Managing Your Perfectionism support here, or think about whether Counselling could help.