READING DỰ ĐOÁN PIC 137

THE CULT OF PERFECT

1. Perfectionism has increased significantly over the past three decades, a recent
analysis shows. Young people in particular place higher demands on themselves and on
others. Often, having high standards can drive success, but for some people, diligence and
motivation can shift into perfectionism, a sorely misunderstood personality trait that can
have dangerous consequences. Our dog-eat-dog world, full of impeccable images of what
our bodies, careers and aspirations should look like, is creating a rising tide of millennials
who may be putting themselves at risk of mental and physical illness in their search for the
perfect life.
2. “Perfection is hard to define,” says Thomas Curran at the University of Bath, UK,
who has been studying its rise. There is no fixed way of diagnosing it. However, many
studies measure it using the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS), which was
developed three decades ago. It consists of 45 statements – such as “I strive to be the best at
everything I do”, “If I ask someone to do something, I expect it to be done flawlessly” and
“People expect nothing less than perfection from me” – and people rate how much they
agree with each of these on a scale of 1 to 7. If you very much identify with these kinds of
statements, it is likely that you have perfectionist tendencies.
3. The scale also distinguishes between three different kinds of perfectionism. “Self-
oriented” perfectionists set themselves high goals in their work and relationships. They can
often experience anxiety from losing to a competitor, failing at a test or not getting a bonus
at work. “Other-oriented” perfectionists hold those around them to exceptionally high
standards. They are very critical and judgemental of others and risk social rejection and
relationship problems. Finally, there are “socially prescribed” perfectionists, who feel
immense pressure from others to be perfect, while also seeking their approval. “The
impossibly high standards they set for themselves mean they often feel rejected or harshly
scrutinised,” says Curran. “As a consequence, their self-esteem takes a hit on a daily basis.
It’s a real battle involving lots of negative emotions, guilt and shame.”
4. Part of the difficulty in pinpointing perfectionism is that the line between having high
standards and being a perfectionist is very blurred. “The difference between someone who
sets high goals and a perfectionist comes at the time of success or failure,” says Andrew
Hill at York St John University, UK. For instance, someone who is hard-working and
diligent will appreciate any success, and will adapt their goals when they fail. They will be
able to put in just enough effort for a strategic benefit. A perfectionist will take much less
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pleasure from success. Even a perfect score will be met with a sense of pressure that they
need to keep up this level of success or that the goalposts need to be placed further away.
5. Perfectionism has strong links with health conditions. When Karina Limburg at
Ludwig- Maximilians University in Munich, Germany, and her colleagues analysed 284
studies, which included more than 57,000 participants, they found that people with eating
disorders, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression had
higher levels of perfectionism compared with people who didn’t have any of the conditions.
Those with perfectionist tendencies were more likely to experience more than one condition
at a time. Perfectionism has also been linked with suicide. Physical health may also be
affected as a result of the stress that perfectionists subject themselves to, leading to an
increased risk of things like cardiovascular disease. Additionally, they cope less well when
they are ill because they experience higher levels of anger, depression and anxiety.
6. Fortunately, there are ways we can combat perfectionism. But first we need to
recognise it, which can be difficult. By the very nature of this condition, it is extremely hard
for a perfectionist to admit that there might be something wrong, says Simon Sherry at
Dalhousie University in Canada, who specialises in treating perfectionism. Acknowledging
the problem is an excellent first step. “We usually see people at the end of the road, when
they are in a bad way,” he says. Depending on the extent of the problem, some people find
that self-help books are enough. Others need professional help. This normally comes in the
form of talking therapies or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which gives people tools
to analyse why they are acting in certain ways and enable them to break out of negative
patterns.
7. With perfectionism rising rapidly among young people, many parents will share
Marshall-Maun’s desire to protect their children. “We’ve been working on the role parents
play and it’s complex,” says Smith. “In terms of preventing it in your children, we know
that parental practices have an important influence.” Extremely critical or demanding
parents risk triggering perfectionism in their kids. “To avoid creating perfectionist
tendencies, parents need to focus on loving their children in a more unconditional way,
rather than focusing their love on specific successes,” says Sherry. They can also help
young people cope with the pressures of modern life. “It’s incumbent on parents to coach
their children on the potential hazards of social media. Teach them that it doesn’t offer
realistic images of lives, that they are often lofty and fake,” he says.
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Questions 1-6
Reading Passage 1 has 7 paragraphs A-G
Choose the correct heading for Paragraphs A-G from the list of headings below.

Write the correct number (i-ix) in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.

List of headings

i. The thin line between perfectionism and having high standards

Example: Paragraph A. iv
1. Paragraph B
2. Paragraph C
3. Paragraph D
4. Paragraph E
5. Paragraph F
6. Paragraph G
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Questions 7-13

Complete the summary below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for
each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 7-13 on your answer sheet.

Perfectionism can drive people to success but at the same time can put them
under the risk of 7................................... There are a lot of methods to diagnose
perfectionism, however 8........................ is frequently used. This method also helps
to 9.............................

between “Self-oriented”, “Other-oriented” and “Socially prescribed”.

Also, it is really hard to differentiate perfectionism and having high standards as

Perfectionism has a close relationship with health issues. An analysis from 284
researches shows that perfectionists are more likely to suffer from different types
of disorders and 12........................... as well as think about suicide. Regarding
physical health, due to 13..........................., perfectionists are more prone to
cardiovascular disease and less resilient when they are sick.