Perfectionism is the belief that one must be flawless and complete to be acceptable. However, true perfection is impossible to achieve as humans are inherently imperfect. Perfectionists strive excessively for control and order, and feel they have failed if anything is less than perfect. This leads to perfectionists being overly critical of themselves and others. While perfectionists aim for excellence, they must accept that perfection is unattainable and instead focus on self-acceptance and enjoying life despite its imperfections.