"If you're so smart, how can you be so...?" although I doubt that will be the actual title because it's really rude (grin).
In our house it was 'if you're so smart, how come your fly is unzipped.'
Also reminds me of the joke that ends, "Don't worry there are plenty of parachutes left, the world's smartest man just jumped out the plane with my back."
I hate to say it but, this is a shoe that fits. I imagine that on my headstone will be engraved, 'A day late and a dollar short.' Although what I can't tell is if I'm actually more bungling that the average person, more bungling that the average Giftie, or exactly the same amount bungling as anyone else, but have a much harder time forgiving myself than other people (Inner Directed Perfectionism.)
((I'd ask my DH but I know what he would say, and I know that the basis of his opinion would be Outer Directed Perfectionism, not my actual behavior.))
Aimee, I hope your book happens soon, and I hope there is a big chapter and a quiz about Inner and Outer Directed Perfectionism so that we can figure out if we are being too hard on our selves and our kids or if there really is a problem.
I don't think 'Perfectionism' is a very well defined term, although we act like we are all talking about the same thing. For me there is a Perfectionism that is related to Giftedness. It relates to the strength of our imaginations, and our ability to see that shining. perfect world so clearly that we sometimes (or often) loose track of the delightful griminess of the current world. I think that one of the key developmental tasks of Gifties is to develop 'amphibian eyes' that can see above the water (world as it should be/ is in our imaginations) and below the water (world as it is) and switch views comfortably and at our own will.
Opps, food burning in the kitchen, gotta go. What was it we were saying about EF skills?
love and more love,
Grinity
