The new way is to show people how simple but highly strategic 'mini actions” can empower them to gradually and effortlessly “let go' of perfectionism. The old way to approach perfectionism was to inspire people to “let go” of their need for perfection and hope they could do it.

Imperfectionism, however, frees us to live outside the lines, where possibilities are infinite, mistakes are allowed, and self-judgment is minimal. Perfectionism is a naturally limiting mindset. Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Dial Press.Īny page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.What’s the New Way to Cure Perfectionism?įrom an early age, kids are taught to color inside the lines, and any color that strays outside the lines is considered to be a mistake that must be avoided. What do you think the future holds for the newspaper? How has the way you receive news day to day changed in recent years?.

How did the Roman setting inform the reading experience of The Imperfectionists? What do you think it would be like to be an expatriate?.

Do you see traits of any of the characters in people you've worked with?.

Do you think someone like the war correspondent Rich Snyder might gain fame and recognition despite his bad behavior - or because of how he behaves? Would you rather be Snyder or Winston Cheung?.

At one point Herman Cohen muses: ''All this had been a most extraordinary surprise he had expected an unhappy life, yet ended up with the opposite.' What do you think accounts for his happy fate? Is it luck, or something else?.

What do you think kept Ruby Zaga in her job all those years? Is her persistence admirable?.

Is there a lesson to be learned in the story of Arthur Gopal's rise through the ranks?.

Do you think Hardy Benjamin made the right decision to ignore the theft she uncovered? And which is more important in a relationship: love or honesty?.

Why do you think Cyrus Ott started his newspaper? Why do you think his family kept it going?.

How did you feel when you encountered a protagonist from one chapter in a different key somewhere else? Did these moments ever catch you by surprise?.

The imperfectionists novel