We aim for perfection without a correct idea of what perfection might demand from us. To strengthen our resolve, we need to improve our picture of what sacrifices any achievement will demand.
Merkel faults German perfectionism
March 2021. Yahoo News. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has blamed her country’s difficulties during the coronavirus pandemic — from the slow vaccine rollout to the back-and-forth over lockdown rules — partly on “a tendency toward perfectionism” and called for greater flexibility to tackle the latest surge in cases.
In an hour-long television interview with public broadcaster ARD late Sunday, Merkel acknowledged that mistakes were made by her government, including on plans for an Easter lockdown, which had to be reversed.
A German on Perfektionismus
Short and sweet. Germans are aware of their inclination towards perfectionism.
Perfectionism in 3 Minutes
When you think of the word perfectionism, you might think of those you know (or maybe yourself) who are anal, OCD, and hard to work with. Perfectionism is when you aren’t satisfied until every little detail is up to your standard of “perfect.”
The problem with this is that perfection is subjective, and our subjective judgment changes from day to day. So while something in your eyes may be perfect today, tomorrow you opinion could completely change.
YouTube comments:
“I have perfectionism and one thing I go through is if I get hit on my arm I have to hit my other arm the exact same spot and it is very annoying.”
“Perfect is the enemy of the good” – I think it’s the enemy of great and downright awesome too. I often wonder how many amazing things we never got to see because it’s creator could only see the ways in which it missed the mark. I keep this in mind a lot.
Is perfectionism an illness?
In a competitive culture that values work ethic and merit, is perfectionism a benign trait that helps us succeed, or is it a pernicious illness we need to take more seriously?
Dr. Tom Curran from LSE’s Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science researches perfectionism, its damaging effects, and why society is making it more prevalent.
Technical University Munich
There is no mandatory length of a thesis. Most well-written master’s theses have between 50 and 80 pages, Bachelor’s theses typically have between 40 and 60 pages. However, depending on your topic and your writing style, more or fewer pages may be appropriate.
Be aware that your thesis will only be evaluated based on the written document and the defense. If you did some nice work (that you might have shown to your adviser at some point) and forget to add it to your written document, it cannot be evaluated.
German Master’s thesis
A master’s thesis is a scientific or artistic work that is written for the completion of a master’s degree. The master’s thesis generally serves as proof that the examinee is able to write a scientific or artistic work independently, but with supervision.
The academic master’s degree is usually awarded with a university examination. The state degree Master is usually awarded through a state final examination. In Germany, this final examination of a master’s course usually consists of a course-related part, the examination or final thesis and the oral final examination (at some universities).
For quality assurance, the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education stipulates that master’s degree courses must be completed with a final thesis (master’s thesis), “which demonstrates the ability to independently work on a problem from the respective subject using scientific methods within a specified period of time.”
In the absence of a clear regulation, the The author of the master’s thesis continues to be referred to as “Diplomand” in everyday life, even if the term “master’s student” is also found. The Master’s thesis is usually either the last examination or the penultimate examination before the final oral examination.
6 months, 80-120 pages
At many German universities, the following rule of thumb applies: achelor’s theses are 40 to 60 pages long, and Master’s theses are around 80 to 120 pages. Some universities also specify the expected scope in words, which is then between 15,000 and 20,000 words.
Still others only specify the processing time, but do not express any limitation in terms of the number of pages or words. Depending on whether you are writing your Master’s thesis in three or six months, you can use the following rules of thumb as a guide: 3 months processing time = 60-80 pages, 6 months processing time = 80-120 pages
Planning process in Germany
Perhaps one of the most striking differences between planning in the US and Germany is the structure of the planning systems, and in particular the manner in which the various levels of government interact.
In Germany, planning occurs within a decentralizeddecision-making structure and a strong legal framework, something associated with the Basic Law (Grundgesetz) of 1949.
Involved in the process are the federal government (Bund ), the 16 state governments (Laender), the 114 planning regions and the approximately 14,000 municipalities (BBR, 2000). In recent years, the European Union (EU) has also played an increasing (albeit non-binding) role.
Although planning is a shared task among all levels of government, the federal govern ment does not create or implement plans, but rather sets the overall framework and policy structure to ensure basic consistency for state, regional and local planning, while states, regions and municipalities are the actual planning bodies.
The framework distinguishes between Bauleitplanung, or local land use planning, and Raumordnung, or spatial planning. These are organized by two federal acts:
First, the Baugesetzbuch (Federal Building Code) requires lower levels of government to make plans that are vertically and horizontally consistent and standardizes the level of expertise, rules and symbols utilized in compiling plans (this is additionally supplemented by the Planzeichenverordnung, or Plan Symbols Ordi-nance).
Second, spatial planning is guided by the Bundes-Raumordnungsgesetz (Federal Spatial Planning Act). This act outlines broad guidelines to be met at the Land level, and defines the relationship between the Länder and the federal government. Much federal activity is spent advising lower tiers of government on the interpretation of the regulatory framework.
What Goes on in a Perfectionist’s Brain
Many people see perfectionism as essential for success. After all, setting high standards and achieving big goals can feel very rewarding.
Researchers at the University of Cologne wanted to get a better sense of perfectionism at the neurobiological level.
Not only that, high Personal Standard Perfectionism scorers’ brain activity also showed a slowing-down process after they made errors, which could allow them to learn from their mistakes and eventually correct course.