Why You Should be a Slacker

Perfectionists Die Earlier

Are you a perfectionist? You may just be on your way to an early grave:

Those with high perfectionism scores, meaning they placed high expectations on themselves to be perfect, had a 51-percent increased risk of death compared to those with low scores.
The researchers suspect high levels of stress and anxiety, which are known to be linked with perfectionism, might contribute to the decrease in lifespan.
Next, they reasoned that if perfectionism showed this association in a normal population, it might have an even greater impact on those with a chronic disease, which would put their bodies under even more stress.

The researchers did find exceptions, however, as perfectionists with type 2 diabetes may have better chance of survival than non-perfectionists with the same disease.

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