Perfecting Ourselves to Death

Perfect body.  Perfect clothes. Perfect family.  Perfect house.  Perfect job.  We strive for excellence in all areas of our lives.  And there’s nothing wrong with a healthy, mature pursuit of excellence.  But what begins as healthy and normal can sometimes become neurotic and abnormal, leading to debilitating thoughts and behaviors:

• eating disorders
• anxiety and depression
• obsession and compulsions
• fear of failure
• relational dysfunction

In Perfecting Ourselves to Death, Richard Winter explores the positive and negative effects of perfectionism on our lives. He looks at the seductive nature of perfectionism as it is reflected in today’s media.  He examines the price and perils of perfectionism.  And he explores the roots of perfectionism, delving into what originally awakens this drive in us.  After analyzing the negative feelings and defeatist behaviors that unhealthy perfectionism births, he provides practical strategies for how to change.  “The important thing to see,” writes Winter, “is that we are to strive to become better people, not just to be content with who we are or how we measure up to the standards of the culture around us.”  For Christians this means becoming more like Christ in every area of our lives.  Here is the “perfect” book for those who struggle with perfectionism and for those pastors, counselors, and friends who want to understand and help perfectionists.

Honored in 2006 as a “Year’s Best Book for Preachers” by Preaching magazine.