This week, Antonia and Jacqui perform surgery on one of society's most beloved obsessions. It’s the quiet saboteur of your happiness, hiding behind seemingly admirable qualities like ambition and high standards. It can push you to achieve great things, but perfectionism can also leave you paralyzed, afraid to start anything you might not excel at.

Jacqui breaks down the science behind perfectionism. It's more than wanting to do well, it's an all-consuming need to be flawless. Perfectionism takes different forms: the drive to succeed, the pressure to appear perfect, or the need to control every detail. Each variety comes with its own particular challenges but Jacqui shares tools for managing when it’s crossed the line from helpful to harmful.

Antonia brings the conversation into sharp relief with her own experiences, reflecting on the pressure to perform as an actress and the stress of getting every little thing just right. The peculiar terror of being seen as imperfect in a profession that trades in fantasy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.