Stressing Perfection: How Religion Affects Perfectionism—and Vice Versa

What is the difference between perfectionism and scrupulosity? Do religious people experience more or less toxic perfectionism that non-religious people? What can we do to minimize toxic perfectionism? In this episode of the Y Magazine podcast, host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) chats with BYU religion professor Michael Goodman (PHD ’04), one of several professors conducting a long-term study about the relationship between perfectionism and religion. This episode is based on the article “The Perfect Problem” by Brooklyn Hughes Roemer (BA ’22), in the Spring 2025 issue of Y Magazine. Read the issue of BYU Studies devoted to Latter-day Saints and Perfectionism here. For some great general conference talks about perfectionism, check out “Be Ye Therefore Perfect—Eventually” and “Perfection Pending.” If you’re enjoying this podcast, we’d appreciate your feedback so we can make more of the types of episodes you like best. Take the survey. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. New episodes post on the first and third Thursdays of each month.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.