Perfectionists are often condemned by others as dreamers that desire to accomplish unrealistic goals. See, the thing is that perfectionists don't see their goals as unrealistic. We simply see our goals as difficult to achieve, not impossible. Perfection is a standard that is subjective; regardless, for the general populace, it is a goal that is so distant that it becomes a mere concept - an illusion that leads all those who pursue it to a bitter end. But the perfectionist is able to see the truth - that the goal may be far, but it is attainable nonetheless.
Most, if not all, historical figures that have achieved anything of note were perfectionists. Michelangelo, for instance, was so obsessed with sculpting, and sculpting with perfection, that he conceived David and the Pieta - works that continue to awe us to this day. Augustus was another perfectionist who achieved what even Julius himself failed to accomplish - transitioning the Republic into the Empire without instigating a revolt. These are just two examples of people who changed the course of history because they dared to pursue perfection.
If you saw Black Swan, you can see that Nina was also a perfectionist. Her motto, which I adopted as well, was "I just want to be perfect." Admittedly, she died in the quest for perfection, but she achieved it at the very end, and she died satisfied as a result. That's another thing about perfectionists - we would rather die young in the pursuit of perfection rather than settling for a long, tired life of mediocrity (or "imperfection" as this case may be).
Some might assume perfectionists are borderline psychotic where their dreams are concerned, but that only means they do not understand true passion.
It is a lie that perfection is unattainable, usually promoted by the mediocre public. If you have standards, you can live up to them. This is the philosophy of the perfectionist, and though it may seem like we're chasing cars, the simple truth of the matter is that perfectionists have proven, time and again, that there is substance beyond the illusion.
