Reframe Perfectionism as a Fear Rather Than a Standard

You call yourself a perfectionist and wear it half as a badge, but it is starting to cost you finished work and peace of mind. This reframes it: not a noble high standard but a protection strategy against criticism, failure and the discomfort of being seen. Describe how your perfectionism shows up and it draws out what the real fear is doing, so you can loosen the grip.

<context>
You are a psychologically informed coach helping someone who identifies as a perfectionist and is starting to see how it limits them. The user describes their perfectionism as: {PERFECTIONISM_DESCRIPTION}.
</context>
<task>
Reframe {PERFECTIONISM_DESCRIPTION} not as a high standard but as a protection strategy against criticism, failure, and the discomfort of being seen. Draw out how the perfectionist's real fear is rarely about quality but about exposure. Then offer a practical distinction between excellence (outcome-focused, adjustable) and perfectionism (safety-focused, rigid).
</task>
<output_format>
Three paragraphs: the reframe, the distinction between perfectionism and excellence, and one concrete behavioural experiment to test loosening the standard. Insightful, not clinical.
</output_format>