Rate Yourself on this Perfectionism Test

Perfection Grading Scale

Grade yourself on each of the questions below thusly:

• If you answer never to a question give yourself a grade of O 
• If you answer some of the time to a question give yourself a grade of 1 
• If you answer most of the time to a question give yourself a grade of 2 
• If you answer all of the time to a question give yourself a grade of 3 

Add the numbers to get a final grade. 

Questions:

1. You’ve done a decent job on a project and with a deadline imminent do you keep working to meet your standards putting the project behind schedule? 
2. Do you procrastinate because you are afraid you will fail? 
3. If you have worked on a project and no one comments on your contributions do you feel like a failure? 
4. When you look at your work do you tend to notice mistakes and little imperfections more than enjoying what you have accomplished? 
5. Do you tend to notice imperfections in others more than their good aspects? 
6. Do you believe good enough is not good enough? 
7. When you look at your appearance do you notice what you would like to change about yourself more than what you like about your appearance? 
8. Do people tell you that you’re difficult to please? 
9. Do people tell you to relax and enjoy life? 
10. Do you beat yourself up when you fail to meet your expectations? 
11. Do you tend to focus on the bad outcomes rather than focusing of good outcomes? 
12. Does criticism feel like a personal attack on you?

Score: 

I really don’t know how to grade this test because I just made-up the questions and have no standard to give a scientific rating. If this bothers you give yourself an additional 3 points.

Both Vicki and I consider ourselves to be perfectionist. When we took the test we were surprised at how low our scores were. 

I scored myself a 14; Vicki scored herself 13. When we graded each other the score increased by 1 point. 

Based on our scores and considering perfectionist I have know here are the estimated ratings: 

• Score of 28-36 indicates a serious problem with perfectionism that causes you and others around you to be miserable. I would be surprised if a score this high didn’t result in a clinical depression. 
• Score of 21-27 you are liable to have a difficult time enjoying yourself. 
• Score of 16-20 people may tell you to relax from time to time
• Score 8-15 your perfectionism contributes to a successful career. 
• Score 0-7 you are probably on a hammock in Hawaii sipping on a cool one. This test would never interest you.

This grading scale is so random that it is practically useless and may not be helpful at all. (If this statement upsets you, your tolerance level for people like me is extremely low.)  

Twelve Romantic Movie Lines

1. Since the invention of the kiss, there have only been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind. 
2. You are now a world class hopeless romantic. No, hopeful. A hopeful romantic. 
3. A lady. Whose soul is greater than the ocean, and her spirit stronger than the sea’s embrace. 
4. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. 
5. Well, it was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together…and I knew it. I knew it the very first time I touched her. It was like coming home…only to no home I’d ever know…I was just taking her hand to help her out of a car and I knew. It was like…magic. 
6. Love is all around me. 
7. Winning that ticket, Rose, was the best thing that ever happened to me…it brought me to you. 
8. Well, that’s 83 South. And this road here will hook you up with I-40 East. If you turn right, that’ll take you to Amarillo, Flagstaff, California. And if you head back that direction, you’ll find a whole lot of nothing all the way to Canada. [If you know the movie you will appreciate the romance behind these lines that to me represent hope, adventure, a new beginning.] 
9. There was a land of Cavaliers and Cotton Fields called the Old South…Here in this pretty world Gallantry took its last bow. Here was the last ever to be seen of Knights and their Ladies Fair. 
10.  I've lead a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who's ever lived: I've loved another with all my heart and soul; and to me this has always been enough. 
11. Who was that? One of what we all are. Less than a drop in the great blue motion of the sunlit sea. But some of the drops...Sparkle. Some of the drops do...Sparkle. 
12. The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return.

Some of this lines are pretty obscure, but you'll have to admit that they are romantic. 

I'd be interested to learn how many of these lines you recognized. Please comment with a number. I bet no one gets more than a half dozen.

True Love

Tonight Vicki and I watched my favorite movie of all time, The Princess Bride. 

It has everything—fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, miracles, humor, grandfather and grandson, uncountable treasured phrases and…most of all, true love. 

After the movie ended, I went to the study and opened the book (that may be better than the movie) to this passage:

If your love were a grain of sand, mine would be a universe of beaches…. I have stayed these years in my hovel because of you. I have taught myself languages because of you. I have made my body strong because I thought you might be pleased by a strong body. I have lived my life with only the prayer that some sudden dawn you might glance in my direction. I have not known a moment in years when the sight of you did not send my heart careening against my rib cage. I have not known a night when your visage did not accompany me to sleep. There has not been a morning when you did not flutter behind my waking eyelids.

That's the way I have felt about my true love who sleeps softly by my side and fills my dreams with loveliness.

Tyrants All Our Politicians Be

Tyrants all our politicians be

They care no whit for me and thee

Re-election remains their lone concern

They try all tricks our vote to earn

With fingers up they test the wind

To find the way their vote to send

They fund and follow a focus group

To seek new means to lie and dupe

Special interest votes they fear to loose

Careful calculation tells whom they choose

They have no care for wrong or right

Their self-serving serves our nation’s blight

Lobbyists' gifts provide peevish politiced blood 

For from their vote does prohibited money flood

Terms with no limits spawn disaffected harlotry

So from our system springs reelected larceny 

Coda:

When with misfortune and disgrace our nation dies

When her lofty honor rudely fades forsaken

In Christ alone our victory lies

For faith fulfills his fully firm foundation

Sonnet One

I was in a tender mood to write a word of encouragement so I decided to write a sonnet. 

Bad mistake.  

Sonnet writing poses great difficulties. If the "poet" is a little off the poem is corny, banal, cloying, mawkish, schmaltzy, soppy. You get the point. If you don't just read Sonnet I and you will understand what I mean.

Attempting to get the rhyme scheme--ABAB CDCD EFEF GG--stretched my mind so severely that a headache appeared unannounced and unexpected. (I hardly ever have a headache.) 

Rhyming ruined my quest for iambic pentameter. 

I, who knows nothing about poetry, believe iambic pentameter is much more important than rhyming. 

My opinion: a poem without a beat is written by an amateur. Or if there is a beat that goes on and on and then the beat is missed for a verse or two--ugg. 

Another opinion: Free verse is like playing tennis without a net. Now this statement will have John Chiardi rise up from the grave and Michael Myers me. 

I certainly have a lot of opinions for someone who knows nothing about poetry. (And for someone who can't write a sonnet.) 

Although my sonnet makes Dick and Jane a Pulitzer Prize contender, I spent so much time on it (about three hours) that I entered it here. 

As Hemingway said--and I paraphrase:"never throw away anything you write and use it as many times as you can." 

Sonnet I

Tragic time has taught me thus to ruminate

That ruin will come and take our peace away.

Hungry ocean, raging river dost life eliminate.  

No one can stop wreckful winds that storm the day.

Lofty towers lie twisted on swampy ground.

The unfled, those poor and ag'ed, endure despair

As polluted waters their homes doth surround

Knees bow, tongues confess in humble prayer.

With each breath breathed fortitude inspires

Courageous confidence in our God omnipotent.

For faith, hope and love with us he shares

Fortifying assurance in his kingdom infinite.

His sweet grace remember’d such faith brings 
That we seek permanence in him, the eternal King.