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    A perfectionist wants everything to be just right. And a lot of perfectionists are high-achievers, like Alais D’Clerq— brilliant philosophy student at Oxford, later elected as Oxford don, writer, producer of an award-winning television program, even talented enough to perform his own songs.

    But the day a book he had been working on for a year was to come out, he ended his life by jumping in front of a train. He was reportedly fearful of what reviewers might say about his book.

    This dark side of setting impossibly high standards can distort achievement, leading to depression and hopelessness and—in his case—suicide.

    There was only one perfect person. Oh, and by the way, he died for you.