As much as she tried to find a way to let go of her impulse to strive—as hard as she tried to “relax” and embrace average without feeling like a loser, Lena couldn’t. You won’t be able to either. This is always the most provocative part of explaining perfectionism—saying that unless you’re striving to excel in some way, you’re going to feel like a loser. People don’t like to hear that. For one, it sounds like a judgment against average, which it’s not.
