“Once You See It, You Can’t Unsee It”: 50 Times People Witnessed Annoyingly Imperfect Things
A significant number of people have a personality trait that makes them pursue flawlessness. Known as perfectionists, they can feel severely disturbed by even the smallest mistakes and errors, which often make their lives quite challenging.Not sure if you are one? The pictures you’ll find below are a great test to find that out. If you cringe at every single one, chances are that you have a perfectionist hiding inside of you.
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This Chandelier At A Restaurant I Ate At Bothers Me So Much
I’ll be honest, I lost my appetite.
This one has been on here before. As was noted the first time, the building is a protected historic structure. During a renovation, a drop ceiling was placed in to cover the historic ceiling. The chandelier is modern, and was added at the same time. However as the plaster ceiling medallion is original, and close to 100 years old. The new owners could not modify it, so left it in place and moved the chandelier over to a position that wouldn't damage it. Basically, historic building codes dictate this kind of construction, and doing anything (like putting a hole in that medallion), would cost the homeowner thousands, if not more in fines and repair.
Did somebody forget the beam that was supposed to be above the center of the rosette?
Faux Tile Done
I saw it in the bathroom at the nail salon where I got a pedicure.
I Got A New Faber-Castell Colour Pencils Today And I Saw This Pencils Label
It’s been bothering me for hours.
Nooooo! And in a set of ARTIST pencils, too! They should know better!!
When we said that a significant number of people are plagued by perfectionism, studies have found that the actual number is over 85%. And it seems to be on the rise, as research conducted between 1989 and 2016 found that levels of perfectionism in college students increased by 10%. It also revealed that perfectionism caused by societal pressure increased at twice the rate.
“These findings suggest that recent generations of college students have higher expectations of themselves and others than previous generations,” explained the lead author of the study, Dr. Thomas Curran. “Today’s young people are competing with each other in order to meet societal pressures to succeed and they feel that perfectionism is necessary in order to feel safe, socially connected and of worth.”
My Puzzle Is Missing One Piece, But Has A Duplicate Of Another Piece
Does it help to realise that somewhere out there is another person with your piece, and that you've got their's?
I Declare War On The Temperature People. Ruined The Perfect Photo
At My Parents House
That's for holidays when there are too many cooks in the kitchen and someone always needs to look in the oven while you're using the cooktop.
Younger people also feel the urge to maintain perfection because of their social media use. They are pressured to be perfect in comparison to others whose lifestyles and appearances are portrayed as flawless online.
Parents also contribute to the rising perfectionism, as their behaviors have a huge influence on their children’s habits, values, beliefs, and self-image. Those caregivers who demand excellence or are perfectionists themselves, unknowingly, can encourage their children to grow up as people who pursue high standards and refuse to settle for anything that doesn’t seem up to par.
Perhaps they pushed their kids to be the best they could be (even if it’s with good intentions), or maybe they made their kids feel like no matter what they do, they aren’t doing it well enough.
My Husband Got Me Some Gifts To Help Challenge My OCD In Small, Manageable Ways
I don't know what I find more upsetting: the lopsided notebook or the lack of alignment on the dots of the die.
I Get Mad Every Time I Walk Past This
Took me a moment... The Windows!! Why would someone do that? It's another conspiracy.
I Know You Felt The Same Pain Before
That's why ya gotta twirl the pencil in the electric sharpener, people.
While the drive for excellence can result in self-discipline, ambition, and exceptional work quality, it can also lead people to self-sabotage. The desire for perfection can cause poor time management and procrastination.
A perfectionist can become so worried about doing things flawlessly that they put off doing anything at all. The fear of failing can also be paralyzing, which makes doing things take much longer. It also stifles creativity, increases self-doubt, and prevents taking on new challenges.
The Door Of This House
The only way to make this work would be to find a way to redirect a visitor’s gaze. The door is supposed to be at the centre, so the empty space to our left on the porch would need to be filled with something to distract the eye from the uneven balance. Maybe a wall trellis, with a table and chair. Maybe something to hang from either ‘window’ of the patio to make it more of a room rather than entrance, like vines or lights or bug curtains.
Yes, a couple of chairs and a small table, with some plants. Perfect.
Load More Replies...I'm guessing it was originally a double door and they closed up one of them.
Load More Replies...Remodeled home. It was originally a side by side duplex, which had two doors evenly spaced in the front. When converted to a single occupancy home, one redundant door was removed, creating this kind of off center type.
This Floor Alignment
This is The floor at my school. The only place where the alignment is off, further in the corridor the alignment is perfect.
Earthquakes are common in my area and the school floor doesn't look like this, although it is crackëd.
Load More Replies...2 vinyl layers working from opposite directions.Both had the same measurements but this happened because they came towards each other. Seen it in a public area but with tiles. Expensive mistake to rip up and start again. "Excuse, but we thought it would be quicker" !
This Christmas Tree
I can see a late night episode of dragging it off center as a prank but why would you do this on purpose?
All of this puts a lot of stress on a person, leading them to burnout, overextension, and distress. This may translate into relationships, too, as perfectionists, especially other-oriented ones, expect the people around them to be perfect and are highly critical of those who don’t meet their standards. They might make critical comments as well that, in the long run, cause frustration and resentment and, as a result, hinder relationships.
Almost Perfect
My guess is that each set of offsets represents a different work day,because they measured from the right one day, the left the next...
If you note, it's in groups of two, other than the top three floors. Pre-fabricated sections likely arrived on site and weren't labeled which side was the front... or back. So when they put the prefab sections in, they kept flipping them around. It's enough of a slight difference that they likely didn't notice the wonky way the windows went while the building wasn't complete.
Whoever Made This Clearly Shouldn't Have
This Manhole Cover
The other two main types of perfectionists—self-oriented and socially prescribed—tend to place excessively high expectations on themselves and not as much on others. Self-oriented perfectionists put a lot of high demands on themselves and measure their worth and satisfaction by external achievements. They are often highly motivated, conscientious, and prone to obsessive thinking, anxiety, and worrying.
Socially prescribed perfectionists put similar pressures on themselves because they believe that other people expect them to be flawless, and if they fail to meet these standards, they will be very critical of them. This can lead to them having low self-esteem, which they hide behind self-deprecating humor.
Maintenance Replaced A Lightbulb Today
And honestly it might bother me enough to go buy three matching ones myself. Good grief.
CostCo had a deal on LED bulbs that made them free at the register, so I bought *one* pack and replaced all of the lightbulbs on my first floor. I found at least six different types of bulbs in use, from the one compact fluorescent that actually worked to multiple brightness bulbs in the same fixture. I feel like I see much better under the cool white light of the LEDs.
There was a hidden cost, though. I always thought the walls of my house were an odd tan color but under the white LEDs, they're pink! Or skin toned for a seriously ill caucasian. Five years later, I've almost completed a rehab that covers that mess with red cedar planks.
Load More Replies...Light-Switch Is Installed And It Fits Perfect
Every Sink In This Bathroom Has A Different Faucet
Perfectionism isn’t a medical condition, but perfectionist tendencies can overlap with or cause certain mental health disorders, like obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, and social anxiety. If a person notices that their perfectionism feels more like a burden and less like a motivator, it might be a good idea to find some coping strategies to prevent the drive for flawlessness from consuming one’s life.
Brand New Ketchup. Taller Bottle, Same Volume, No Longer Fits In Cupboard
Keep the container in the fridge once it's been opened, as advised by Heinz https://www.allrecipes.com/heinz-settles-ketchup-storage-debate-7556212
Cold ketchup is revolting. It also has so much vinegar and sugar in I'm not sure anything can survive. When my granny died, we were still on the original (glass) bottle of ketchup she bought when we were toddlers
Load More Replies...Cereal boxes keep getting taller so they don’t fit in cabinets. But there is less in the boxes.
Mildly Infuriating Level : Refund
The waffles are probably not very interesting hahah because the results aren't too bad. At least still looks like a mini waffle. But it probably doesn't look good either... I'm not a very good waffle maker.
I actually don't mind keeping it! But still trying my best to get a refund or send me a new set of properly mirrored pans.
Rotate (whichever one is removable) 180 degrees and problem solved.
Pry the bottom one out, turn it twice and it will line up. Most of these can be pried off for thorough cleaning. There is an element that heats the plate, usually they aren't wired to the plate.
Nope. Won't work. The two plates here are identical, you need the opposite in order to get them to line up.
Load More Replies...This Shelf Setup That Makes It Nearly Impossible To Grab A Jar Of Salsa
Those translucent flaps can be lifted, at least in most supermarkets I've been to
The first step towards managing perfectionism is to become aware of the thoughts that fuel such tendencies, says Jason Drake, a licensed clinical social worker. He suggests journaling, as it can help to identify thoughts and behaviors of perfectionism.
Every time you grapple with it, try to write down any thoughts that come to mind when you feel you need to do something flawlessly, whether they’re rational or not. “Once you identify the thoughts, themes, and behaviors, then you can start to change them,” explains Drake.
I’m Annoyed Every Time I See This
How Papa John’s Cut This Pizza
Why?
In the last few weeks, I've repositioned or added approximately 25 outlets and switches because I had the walls open as part of a general rehab of a 95 year old log cabin. That outlet is likely attached to a stud (to the right is my guess) and was installed before the trim pieces were mounted. That kind of outlet can be moved a few inches, but somehow the stud is always in the way of the direction you need to move.
I understand, but in this case the wall panel widths could have been adjusted to accommodate the outlet location.
Load More Replies...As an electrician I find this so annoying! But if I was a layman the amount of work involved in cutting the mitre joints and placing them around? Personally I would have kept the piece as a straight and notched it.
Perfectionist thoughts are often about feeling not good enough. So try to alter them with positive self-talk, like saying to yourself, “It’s okay to feel this way, I’m doing my best,” or “I’ve totally got this.”
Other practices that can help cope with perfection are accepting your mistakes and adopting a good-enough mindset. Try to understand that making a mistake is not the end of the world. It’s actually the opposite. An error expands our world by allowing us to grow, learn, and do better. So try to enjoy the challenge you face and learn from it instead of beating yourself up about it.
The Picture Speaks For Itself
Wow, and also the person's house I was in with this light didn’t even bother fixing it! Which makes me infuriated.
For some reason we have one 'cool' and one 'warm' white globe in the lights in my lounge room. The warm one is also much dimmer. Mildly annoying, but I can't be bothered fixing it because I have to get a pretty high step to change them, where as my dad only needs a small one, so I just ignore it. If I ever have the energy to be bothered I will change it, until then I can't complain.
Newly Renovated
Often, perfectionists establish unrealistic goals that make them stressed. So to combat it, they should set more achievable tasks for themselves and break them down into smaller, more manageable tasks that can lead to more feelings of accomplishment and fewer feelings of failure and anxiety.
This Poster At Work Bothers Me Everyday. Once You See It, You Can't Unsee It
It was the fact the fingers don't match. But now I see a willy and can't unsee it thanks to reddit comments. I hate the poster more now.
Who Needs A Perfectly Useful Drain?
Mildly Infuriating Lights In A Hotel
Not only do I hate the placement, but I also hate the lights themselves.
Maybe this is the 12th floor of a hotel, so the 12th lamp is out of line when you get off the elevator.
How This TV Isn’t Centered On The Wall
I was going to say it might not be functional, but it looks like one of those fake fireplace heaters, so it will still get too hot for tv.
Load More Replies...This One Made My Eyes Bleed
Why?
I Just Bought These Books And Why Is 2 Uneven
Seriously I ordered a replacement.
This reminds me of the Monk dvds, but I'm not convinced it wasn't intentional in that case, because the character is trying to overcome OCD.
Just Googled the Monk DVDs and yeah, that was definitely done on purpose.
Load More Replies...Wabi-sabi: the intentional imperfection that highlights perfection. Probably not, but that's the line I would offer my guests.
The Alignment Of These Doorknobs In My New Apartment
This door is actually the entrance to my bedroom, when I am home next I will be sure to do some closer investigating. Hopefully it has just been installed upside down/backwards which would be an easy fix! Thanks for the pointers friends, all I see when I look over at night are these two knobs staring me down with their imperfections.
Surely the door isn't just upside down because the handle would be on the outside of door,next to frame, when flipped?
I See This Every Day And It Drives Me Mad
The rest of the path is perfectly normal - but this one section is completely out of order, like someone did this and now it lives in my head rent free every day.
With the correct hook you can lift this out and switch it round. I swear road workers do this sh1t deliberately to mess with OCDers'
The Way These Lights Are Aligned
Probably pipework or something in the way that no one wanted to cut and reposition.
The Design Of This Bathroom Wall. It Is Very Disorienting
I actually kinda like this as an accent wall and it's well done. But please level the curtain rod.
This Unevenly Distributed V-Shape
Definitely an amateur photographer! I have a lot of professional photographers in my family/friends and they would not stand for this. They rarely have to rearrange people in poses because they instinctually put them in the right position first time.
It’s an ugly photo. Why not have them standing on the same step? Is the person at the front supposed to be the centre of interest? Were they trying to get everyone the same height by making the smaller people stand on higher steps? Because it just makes the people at the back them smaller and harder to see.
As You Love To Hate Broken Patterns So Much. I Ride My Bike Across It When I Do Groceries
I live in the Netherlands and this is in Beek en Donk and believe it might be in the Beek section of.
This Is Really Bothering Me In My New Flat
My Dad Does This To Avoid Cutting Pepperoni
OT, but it took me decades to accidentally figure out that in the US peperoni is NOT another word for big chili peppers/elongated hot bell peppers. Ever since ALF aired in the 80s any pizza order (mis)translated from US tv shows into German would have people ask for "Pepperoni Pizza" as the usual staple, and I spent decades wondering why all Americans were so in love with a pizza whose only significant ingredient was chilies. (I German we call these sausage slices "Salami", and AFAIK so do people in Italy)
In the US salami refers to a similar food, but it's for sandwiches, and is sized appropriately (about 12cm in diameter). You can buy it pre-sliced in packages, or sliced to whatever thickness you want at the deli counter.
Load More Replies...Yeah and I just LOVE when cake or pizza has different sized slices. This way I can choose how much I want. And not this need to standardize.
Load More Replies...The Position Of These Comic Books
This reeks of being too tired/lazy when putting books into shelf after moving! I have had books like this for years sometimes.
This Bottle Cannot Stand On Its Own But Will Leak If Left Horizontal
Oooo I recently got a bottle of perfume like this. "Window 2 Soul" by Orabella. When I ordered it online the picture showed it standing upright, so I assumed it was a standing bottle .... NoOo they have some artsy chunky bottle that lays on its side and leaks, just a tiny bit, but like, your perfume should be in a bottle that does its job!!! It's actually a nice long-lasting scent, I'd call it amber and tropical. Luckily I bought it on sale and with a bunch of points from ulta, so I didn't pay much, but still. Stupid bottle. I have to prop it on my perfume shelf so it's standing upright
Planted The Palm Tree Near The Light Boss
"Can you explain this?" - Okay, bit of a stretch but, the tree was delivered before the work crew was available to dig up the paving and plant it so the tree delivery people secured the tree in a location near to the site but out of reach of vandals.
Common in florida, though it's not vandals. It's theft. You'd be surprised just how often it happens down here, but it's a very common problem where people will show up and steal plants that are being left out ready to plant. So, they do stunts like this to keep people from taking them. For context, this tree is actually surprisingly light. That's a queen palm, so you're looking at about 500 pounds of weight, counting the root ball. Three or four guys could rather easily carry that thing off.
Load More Replies...Described by some as the "Sky Garden" in Wollongong Central, Wollongong, Australia
"One tree does not a garden make!" - "Hold my beer!"
Load More Replies..."You say he died when a coconut fell on his head?" "Nah mate, whole bloody coconut tree fell on him!"
Would This Bother You?
Our leaning tower of bookshelf. Been leaving going on three years and it leans more with each passing year. No one’s bothered to replace it. No one’s bothered to figure out how to straighten it. It’s actually quite funny, “huh, does it look like it’s leaning more to you?”
3 minutes with a drill driver to screw it to the sidewall.
Load More Replies...I would not trust putting things in it, especially heavier things near the top.
I am imagining a late night CRASH!! and furiously barking dogs, followed by me jumping out of bed and grabbing my gun!
Thread Ran Out Partially Through The Body, And I Replaced It With A Different Spool Of The Same Thread Color From The Same Brand But The Colors Off
I can go over the initial part with the new thread but like bruh...
The colour of the chin and ears part is different from the colour of the nose part
Load More Replies...With any type of yarn/thread/floss, you have to watch out for dye lots. Always buy more than you'll need if it is important to match exactly.
Yeah, I was gonna say -- seems like one of those 'happy little accidents' that our friend Bob Ross used to talk about.
Load More Replies...Was Driving Home And Spotted This Little Gem. Why?
One Wrong Colored Crate Part 2 Electric Boogaloo
This Progress Bar Is Hurting Me Personally
The Armrests Are Uneven In Size
Been Living Here For 22 Years And I Just Noticed The Lights Aren't Aligned
Also, the door on the right at the bottom of the rug always swings and catches it, its a lost cause in my household.
This Doesn’t Line Up
The Straw Hole Is Off Center
Mildly Infuriating Door Near Bristol, England
Makes sense to me, you quite often have to work around old buildings' quirks. A smaller entrance way was needed but the door still needed an upright so it could be locked. The building I live in (600 years old) has many little oddities.
I'm finally getting close to replacing the front door on my old log cabin, but the space is irregular (like everything else in an old log cabin) and something like this is my best solution.
The Alignment Of The Panels In This Elevator
Now That We Sold The House I Can Safely Post This
I noticed the posts shortly after we moved in a couple years ago and was bothered by them every day. But I didn't say anything to the wife cause she would have made me do more renos.
A couple days before move out she noticed it too.
Bought 16k Dice For A Mosaic, All From The Same Supplier, Supposedly The Same Size... The Black Ones Are ≈1.25% Smaller
I mean, they're listed as 8mm dice, after some closer research, the white ones are about 7.85mm on average and black 7.57 considering both can be rounded to 8, and we're talking a difference of 0.28mm here, I'm thinking they aren't going to take me too seriously... That and I literally searched for hours to find the absolute cheapest source I could since I was buying 16,000. Even 1¢ a piece would be $160. And would you expect better than 0.2mm precision for 1¢/die?
I just expected whatever manufacturing process they used would have high variance die to die, but not color to color.
That One Green Locker Among All The Other Orange Ones
This Almost Perfect Pancake I Made
My Pizza Shaped Playing Cards Aren’t In Perfect Eighths
Who Lives In A Pineapple Under The Sea, This Set Is Not For You If You Have OCD
Almost Gave Up Looking For This Markers Refill Ink Because Of How Vastly Different The Colors Are On The Caps
The ink itself is much more similar to the refill cap, which is the lighter of the two. The refill is a much newer product than the marker I have so they knew the color was off and corrected it.
I hate this so much. You can never trust the cork/head color to be anywhere near the actual color anyway, and this difference makes it abundantly clear.
Don't Know If This Fits In This Subreddit, But The Rock Was Easily Moveable And Fit In My Palm
Sharing My Easter Cake With Three Friends: One Already Ate His "Equally And Fairly“ Share
"See? I cut at right angles!"
Why Would Anyone Do This
Amazon Sent Me The Wrong Size Book In A Trilogy
I’m going to Barnes and Noble tomorrow to hopefully fix this nonsense. My OCD is screeching right now lol. I could order a replacement on Amazon but that takes two days and I don’t wanna look at this for two days. I’m just getting into reading. I’ve bought quite a few books, mostly from the action/adventure, fantasy, and science fiction genres along with a couple horror books.
I hate not having a full set in the same size/cover design. I loved the original covers and size of Michael Connelly books I had, then after about 9 books they finished that print. Now they are all larger (but still two different sizes) and there are some with similar covers, but the rest have no common design. There are nearly 50 books, so it's understandable there will be some change, but it's still annoying. Especially having to change the shelf height in the bookcase to fit the larger ones in.
This Is One Of My Metalophones. The Bar Only Fits This Way
This Tile At My College Is The Only One That’s Vertical Instead Of Horizontal
This Driveway
I Wish I Hadn't Bothered Aligning Them So I Never Would've Noticed
Even if they weren't aligned I would have noticed 15 isn't in a circle on the coloured band
My Eyes Are Bleeding
I must say, it's an odd style. Or, if the purpose is to hurt my nerves when looking at it, well, purpose accomplished.
Requires 3 AAA Batteries, In The Most Annoying Way Possible
The Way This Sign Is Off Center
Left wing? No, I think the sign hanger leans quite a bit to the right.
Load More Replies...The Alignment Of The Tower And The Entrance
The Color Pencils Aren't Lined Up With The Box Image Ones
This Pot Pie I Made Last Night Makes Me Feel Sad Inside
Just Hung My TV On The Wall, Look How It Fits Perfectly. Can You See Why I’m Mad Now?
Washer (Right) And Dryer (Left) Placement For The House I'm Sitting
I didn't know that until a couple of years ago. My dryer was on the left and hinged on the right, so I had to lean over the door to put the clothes in. Someone told me they thought it could be changed, or I would still be getting irritated with it.
Load More Replies...Our dryer is on the left because it makes the venting a straight shot.
Load More Replies...Building My House And The Concreter Just Finished The Driveway. This Will Bother Me For The Rest Of My Life
If I Could Not See Them At The Same Time I Would Not Care
This Baseball Park
Actually it's fine. The same "imperfections" are on all 4 sides equally.
Self Explanatory Oddly Unsatisfying Ketchup Bottle Label
Why, Sprite, Why?
Order Of Fig Spread Came Into Work Today
Domino's Pizza
When asked whether he wanted his pizza cut into six slices or eight, Yogi Berra replied "Six. I don't think I could eat eight slices."
Wife And I Got New Silverware For Christmas
I was hoping that I’d be posting on perfectfit or oddlysatisfying but well here we are. Using the same “every other” spacing for all (yes I know I could squeeze it in another space that’s open) at the very end I ended up with a sole leftover.
The Fact That The Stone Circle Is Not Aligned With The Door And The Window
Come On, Starbucks
This is not what OCD is. Being bothered by things like this is more related to autism. Speaking as someone on the spectrum.
The title of this list is not ok. OCD is a debilitating mental health condition and you are minimising it by using it as a "fun" title. Liking things to be neat and organised is not OCD, it is just liking things neat and organised. Read up on what it is really like to have OCD and educate yourself.
Agreed. My daughter was diagnosed as a child. She battles it everyday and had to do an outpatient hospitalization to overcome it. It goes far beyond wanting to have corners line up 🤦🏽♀️
Load More Replies...The PB software rotates titles. So the other one may come back.
Load More Replies...This is not what OCD is. Being bothered by things like this is more related to autism. Speaking as someone on the spectrum.
The title of this list is not ok. OCD is a debilitating mental health condition and you are minimising it by using it as a "fun" title. Liking things to be neat and organised is not OCD, it is just liking things neat and organised. Read up on what it is really like to have OCD and educate yourself.
Agreed. My daughter was diagnosed as a child. She battles it everyday and had to do an outpatient hospitalization to overcome it. It goes far beyond wanting to have corners line up 🤦🏽♀️
Load More Replies...The PB software rotates titles. So the other one may come back.
Load More Replies...
