Are you a perfectionist? (with loudspeaker restoration update)
By The Horse
@TheHorse (205287)
Walnut Creek, California
December 20, 2015 8:16pm CST
My house looks messy to some people. There are papers on the floor of my SUV. Sometimes I leave dishes in the sink. My bathtub can be downright scary if I haven't gone into a Comet frenzy recently. But there are some ares in my life where I'm a perfectionist. I can't stand typos in any of my class handouts. Even on my MyLot posts, if I see a typo, I'll correct it. Another area of perfectionism is my speaker refinishing. The speakers I refinish can't just look good. They have to look virtually new. This morning, I posted about a pair of speakers that came in yesterday for restoration. Their bottoms looked hideous--all scratched and discolored. Today, I worked on those bottoms while I watched football. To the casual observer, they might look all sanded down and ready for oil. But I still see some micro-scratches in both surfaces, so I'm not going to oil them up until I attack those scratches with hot water and then lightly sand again. I won't be happy unless all surfaces look really nice when I'm done. Do you have areas in which you're a perfectionist? Are you a slob in other areas, like I am (sometimes)?
12 people like this
12 responses
@LadyDuck (457412)
• Switzerland
21 Dec 15
You look a lot like my husband, his working area looks like a mess, papers everywhere, even on the floor, but with his work he is a perfectionist. I am not a perfectionist, but I try to do everything I do at my best and I like a clean and neat house 
2 people like this
@1hopefulman (45123)
• Canada
21 Dec 15
Yes, I'm a perfectionist and want everything to be just right and it takes me a lot longer to do anything because of having a perfectionist mentality. While I may be a perfectionist, I'm far from perfect.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (205287)
• Walnut Creek, California
21 Dec 15
None of us humans are anywhere near perfect! But I suppose trying really hard on some things gives me a sense of "control." I feel bad if I teach a boring class or have a bad evening at softball. With my speakers, I can work a bit harder and know they'll turn out well.
2 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
21 Dec 15
This is something that we have in common. The degree to which I will go depends purely on what I am doing and how highly it rates in my opinion. I allow things to become untidy all too often, but but I am creating a spreadsheet or document it must be precisely what I intended or I will continue and amend things until it finally qualifies.
PS I see that you turned the speakers around before photographing them again.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
21 Dec 15
I'm a prefectionizt, er, profeccshunistt, prufekshanistt, - perfectionist! Yes, that one. - No, I'm quite a slob actually
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
23 Dec 15
@TheHorse I can handle them if they are in small number but some work becomes virtually unreadable and obviously got posted with zero effort to spell check or edit
@crossbones27 (48405)
• Mojave, California
21 Dec 15
That is a great point. Many areas I am. They say that is a Virgo thing. You know how many people feel about that or I am sure you have heard. Anyway, I am the same way. I really am not the cleanest person in the world, but when I clean it has to be perfect. That is with many things I have a passion for in life 10 rimes over.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
21 Dec 15
lol Yes that is what I refer to as my OCD areas. I think we all have them to some extent.
1 person likes this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
21 Dec 15
I can totally relate to what you're saying. I'm a perfectionist in my writing and can revise a story or poem over and over again. I hate typos and grammar mistakes in my own posts, though it doesn't bother me as much in others' posts. It does bother me in published books and newspapers, though.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205287)
• Walnut Creek, California
21 Dec 15
I'm the same. If I see a typo in someone else's casual post, I'm happy that they don't feel compelled to be "perfect." But if I see one in a book or newspaper, I start thinking things like "the decline and fall of Western Civilization."
@JudyEv (325397)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Dec 15
Vince is like you - papers everywhere but very fussy about some things. I'm more middle of the road although I hate typos in anything.
@Plethos (13560)
• United States
21 Dec 15
i have stuff scattered around. people say its disorganized, a complete mess, but thing is, i put the items there i know where they are. if someone moves something, it throws me off, i get all pissy because i cant find the item. to me, organization is when you know where items are at. and for the love of god, sand them deep cavernous scratches out of the wood ! its hideous ! the last time anything scratched that deep, it was called the grand canyon! 
youre doing fine, some wet sanding to rejuvenate the wood, im hoping it closes the scratches a little .
youre doing fine, some wet sanding to rejuvenate the wood, im hoping it closes the scratches a little .1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
21 Dec 15
I try to be the same everywhere but I know I am a perfectionist in some areas, but I have to be neat and clean, once its out of hand I would have to call in the hoarders t.v. show.
1 person likes this
