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Is your sign a perfectionist?
By Christine Schoenwald — Written on Nov 09, 2017
Perfectionism is all about control — the having it and then losing it. Perfectionism mixed with stress can lead to a whole lot of unpleasant and sometimes downright dangerous health issues like depression, feeling like a loser, obsessiveness, compulsiveness, guilt, and high blood pressure.
If you aren’t sure that you are a perfectionist, some of the signs are that you obsess about mistakes (sometimes to the point where you can’t move on), you are super-competitive with others and are a sore loser, you are judgmental about yourself and others, and you create conflict where there may not be any. You may not even believe what your horoscope has to say because you're so hard on yourself.
A perfectionist tends to make mountains out of molehills, and it’s difficult for them to let something go. Nothing is ever “good enough” for a perfectionist — it’s either perfect or terrible.
While it’s good to strive to be the best person you can be, you need to find a balance. Putting too much pressure on yourself to be the best and to do everything perfectly isn’t good for you. So, which of the zodiac signs are guilty of this? Here are the perfectionist zodiac signs, ranked from most to least.
1. VIRGO (August 23 - September 22)
It's all in the details for Virgo and they will go over those details repeatedly making sure that there hasn't been a mistake made. Virgos are huge perfectionists — they strive to be perfect, to have their homes and work perfect, and even want the people in their lives to be perfect.
It's very frustrating trying to make an imperfect world perfect, and it can cause Virgos to criticize themselves and others harshly. Because Virgos have a reputation of always knowing the answer and having the ability to fix anything, they will persist with a job or a task when anyone else would have given up long ago.
2. CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 19)
No matter how hard Capricorn has tried, they always think they could have done better. Capricorns tend to be perfectionists and will obsess over a mistake they made, whether it had to do with their job or was a social faux pas. Capricorn will go over the mistakes they've made and figure out ways that they could have done better and then will hope for an opportunity to try again.
Capricorns are tenacious and they will keep trying until they get it right. They think if they fail, they'll be letting everyone around them down, and they don't want to do that.
3. SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21)
Scorpios often have an intense need to do things perfectly. If something is not going to be a shining example of how amazing Scorpio is, then they may not take it on.
Scorpios notice everything and if something is out of place or done incorrectly, it will eat them until it's fixed. They'd rather focus on the things they do really well than take a chance at failing.
4. LIBRA (September 23 - October 22)
Though they may not appear to be, Libras are very sensitive and they don't react well to negative comments or conflict. But if they do everything perfectly, there's no room for anyone to find fault with them or with what they've done.
Perfectionism for Libra is a way to avoid being called out and criticized. There are many things a Libra will do to avoid conflict and focusing in on being perfect is a way to do that.
5. LEO (July 23 - August 22)
Leos care a lot about the way they present to people — their look always needs to be flawless. If it isn't perfect, then how can it be appreciated? Since Leos are often surrounded by people, they feel self-conscious when they make a mistake or fail.
Leos have a high sense of self-worth, though they do have their moments alone when they doubt themselves and their insecurity shows itself. If they're perfect, then no one will suspect that Leos have a vulnerable side.
6. ARIES (March 21 - April 19)
Aries' perfectionism shows in how fiercely competitive they are and how they hate to lose. If they don't win, an Aries will obsess over something and try to have a rematch or do-over. They can get very hard on themselves when they don't do well at something.
They have incredibly high standards for themselves and others but don't focus much on details. They do try to learn from their mistakes, and not doing something perfectly every time isn't the end of the world for them.
7. TAURUS (April 20 - May 20)
Achieving perfection on a daily basis isn't something that Taurus' strive towards. They like things to be nice and attractive to the eye, especially their home and their own personal look, but they won't stress if something is out of place or even sloppy.
They get stressed out just like anyone, but they try to stay away from anything that would add stress to their life.
8. CANCER (June 21 - July 22)
Sometimes Cancer individuals aim for perfection, and other times, not so much. They know that perfectionism can be a colossal waste of energy, especially when you could be doing other more compassionate and caring things with your time.
They try not to get too competitive with others or focus on the minutiae of living. They like to look at the big picture and figure out how to be better people who give back to others rather than focusing on trying to attain impossible standards.
9. GEMINI (May 21 - June 20)
When a Gemini is in a perfectionistic headspace, it tends to cause them to procrastinate. They will put off starting or finishing a project because they fear it won't be up to par.
Geminis tend to be too scattered and disorganized to be true perfectionists. They could be determined to make something perfect but then will get distracted or bored, and that perfectionism suddenly doesn't seem as important anymore.
10. PISCES (February 19 - March 20)
Pisces aren't perfectionistic by nature. They find that when you try to make something perfect, you take away any happy accidents and you squelch your creativity.
It's far better to make peace with one's imperfections and go on from there. Pisces find that true beauty is imperfect, and when you try to make perfect art, you end up with nothing.
11. AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18)
Aquarians also do not go in for perfectionism because they find it a waste of energy. Shooting for something that you'll probably never achieve seems pointless and stupid to an Aquarius. Plus, perfect is boring. What would you miss out on if everything had to be perfect?
Some of Aquarius' best ideas and innovations have come from making mistakes. Perfectionism smacks of conservatism and big brother to an Aquarius and they're much more interested in freedom and being unique.
12. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 21)
Sagittarians tend not to be perfectionists at all; if they were, it would get in the way of their experiences. They're not champions of the small details. If you over-plan a trip, thinking that it will go perfectly, you'll miss out on all the things that make travel unforgettable.
Sagittarians don't like to take things too seriously if they don't have to and aiming for perfection is just too stressful for them.
Christine Schoenwald is a writer, performer, and teacher who loves writing and performing personal narratives. She's had pieces in The Los Angeles Times, Salon, Woman's Day, Purple Clover, Bustle, and is a regular contributor to Ravishly and YourTango. Check out her website or her Facebook page.