Perfection is a topic that people have been thinking about for centuries now. Some would even say that it is something in human nature that drives us to think and strive for perfection. This thinking continues to persist in modern society. We live in a world filled with digitized perfection. Thanks to magazines and Photoshop, the harmful effects of perfectionism have become clearly evident. Over the years we have seen a decline in self-esteem and an increase in anxiety disorders. Some point the finger at media outlets constantly displaying photos of models photoshopped to look nothing less than perfect. According to Merriam Webster's online dictionary, the medical definition of perfectionism is “a disposition to regard anything less than perfect as unacceptable; in particular: the setting of unrealistic and demanding goals accompanied by a disposition to consider failure to achieve them as unacceptable and a sign of personal uselessness (Webster). With such an unattainable disposition towards one's goals, it is not surprising that problems can arise. However, what happens when perfectionism is combined with other personality traits? Is it possible that such a separation could lead to less counterintuitive perfectionism? Or could associating perfectionism with a bad trait cause devastating effects like depression, anxiety disorders, and eating disorders? While I do not doubt the accuracy of the definition of perfectionism stated above, I also cannot deny the fact that there is more to perfection than that. This thought is supported by the multidimensional scale of perfectionism. The MPS is a scale that assesses areas of perfectionism and divides it into three groups. The first is self-oriented perfectionism. This ...... middle of paper ...... ns are often very high and turn into something unattainable. The need for success of perfectionism combined with the emotional instability of nerotism causes a toxic mix in the face of failure. Failing to achieve your goals can even lead a neurotic perfectionist to suicide. Even if we can't fix it, perfectionism can have a big influence on other facets of our personality. It can influence us for better or worse. Understanding neurotic perfectionism can allow us, especially those working in the mental health field, to understand and prevent the problems associated with it. Socially prescribed perfectionism, neuroticism, and just a hint of media pressure to look a certain way can quickly turn into a recipe for disaster. If one understands neurotic perfectionism, it would not be difficult to understand how one can develop an eating disorder..