Destructive Perfectionism

Sometimes people who seem to have their lives together are actually falling apart under the surface. Living in an age of social media and intense comparison, many young adults today are focused on keeping up or achieving unrealistic goals of perfection.

At just 19, Madison Holleran, known to have both beauty and brains, had also earned a coveted spot on UPenn’s Ivy League track team and won multiple academic and athletic awards. It seemed like she “had it all.” Madison’s pursuit of unattainable levels of “perfection” exacerbated her mental health struggles with anxiety and depression. She struggled immensely with her sense of failure and ultimately ended her life in January 2014. Carli challenges others to ask themselves: Is this life my pursuit of happiness or my pursuit of perfection?