<P> Slaney and his colleagues found that adaptive perfectionists had lower levels of procrastination than non-perfectionists . In the field of positive psychology, an adaptive and healthy variation of perfectionism is referred to as optimalism . </P> <P> Exceptionally talented people are often perfectionists . Many individuals now widely regarded as geniuses were obsessive about the quality of their work . In the book Isaac Newton's Natural Philosophy, it is said that "Newton, perhaps because of a basic ambivalence between wanting his discoveries to be known and his fear of criticism, tended to be fussy about his publications ." When finding that an initial print of his Opticks (1704) featured errors, his response was for his name to be removed from the title page entirely; his reaction was the same after William Whiston used the wrong manuscript when printing Arithmetica Universalis (1707). Scholar D.T. Whiteside likewise notes Newton's "usual perfectionist manner". </P> <P> Other highly celebrated figures who were perfectionists include Filippo Brunelleschi, Leonardo da Vinci, Nicolaus Copernicus, Ludwig van Beethoven, Gustave Flaubert, Johannes Brahms, Franz Kafka, Stanley Kubrick, Andrei Tarkovsky, Brian Wilson, and Steve Jobs, all of whom have been considered to be among the most central figures in their respective fields' histories . Gary Garrison wrote of Kubrick, "His perfectionism led to a handful of cinema's finest works ." </P> <P> Some contend that Michelangelo's perfectionism motivated him to painstakingly complete works including the statue David and the Sistine Chapel ceiling . Scientists that intently pursue their interests in the laboratory are often considered perfectionists . This obsession with an end result may motivate them to work diligently and maintain an impressive work ethic . Famous figures have publicly admitted that they have perfectionist tendencies . An intense focus on one's passion can lead to success . Martha Stewart once described herself to Oprah Winfrey as a "maniacal perfectionist ." High - achieving athletes often show signs of perfectionism as well . </P>

Where does the need for perfection come from