Editing Intellectual giftedness (section)

===Perfectionism===
[[perfectionism (psychology)|Perfectionism]], while considered to have many [[Perfectionism (psychology)#Positive aspects|positive aspects]], can be another issue for gifted individuals. It is encouraged by the fact that gifted individuals tend to be easily successful in much of what they do.

''Healthy perfectionism'' refers to having high standards, a desire to achieve, conscientiousness, or high levels of responsibility. It is likely to be a virtue rather than a problem, even if gifted children may have difficulty with healthy perfectionism because they set standards that would be appropriate to their mental age (the level at which they think), but they cannot always meet them because they are bound to a younger body, or the social environment is restrictive. In such cases, outsiders may call some behavior perfectionism, while for the gifted this may simply be their standard. It has been said that perfectionism "becomes desirable when it stimulates the healthy pursuit of excellence."<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Parker | first1 = W. D. | last2 = Mills | first2 = C. J. | year = 1996 | title = The Incidence of Perfectionism in Gifted Students | journal = Gifted Child Quarterly | volume = 40 | issue = 4| pages = 194–199 | doi=10.1177/001698629604000404| s2cid = 145769977 }}</ref>

Some believe that perfectionism can be unhealthy. ''Unhealthy perfectionism'' stems from equating one's worth as a human being to one's achievements, and the simultaneous belief that any work less than perfect is unacceptable and will lead to criticism. Because perfection in the majority of human activities is neither desirable, nor possible, this [[cognitive distortion]] creates self-doubt, performance anxiety, and ultimately procrastination.

Unhealthy perfectionism can be triggered or further exacerbated by parents, siblings, or classmates with good or ill intentions. Parents are usually proud and will extensively praise the gifted child. On the other hand, siblings, peers, and school bullies may generally become jealous or envious of the intellectual ease of the gifted child and tease him or her about any minor imperfection in his or her work, strength, clothes, appearance, or behavior. Either approach—positive reinforcement from parents or negative reactions from siblings and peers for minor flaws—may push gifted children into equating their worth amongst their peers to their own abilities; thus, any imperfection could be viewed as a serious defect in themselves. This unhealthy perfectionism can be further exaggerated when the child counters bullying with the same tactics (i.e., insulting the less exceptional abilities of others), thus creating further disdain in himself for low or even average performance.

There are many theories that try to explain the correlation between perfectionism and giftedness. Perfectionism can become a problem as it frustrates and inhibits achievements.

D. E. Hamachek identified six specific, overlapping types of behavior associated with perfectionism. They are:<ref>Schuler, P. (2002). Perfectionism in Gifted Children and Adolescents. In M. Neihart, S. M. Reis, N. M. Robinson, & S. M. Moon (Eds.). [https://www.amazon.com/Social-Emotional-Development-Gifted-Children/dp/1882664779 ''The Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children ''](pp. 71-79). Waco, Texas: Prufrock Press, Inc.</ref>

* [[Depression (mood)|Depression]]
* A nagging "I should" feeling
* [[Shame]] and [[guilt (emotion)|guilt]] feelings
* Face-saving behavior
* [[Shyness]] and [[procrastination]]
* [[Self-deprecation]]