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RML 2023
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Easy

Choose the correct word for: A person who always strives for flawlessness.

Appeared in: RML 2023

Explanation

  • A perfectionist is defined as a person who refuses to accept any standard short of perfection.
  • The key characteristic is the relentless striving for flawlessness and setting exceptionally high personal standards.
  • This definition directly aligns with the description provided in the question: 'A person who always strives for flawlessness.'.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option A: An extrovert is an outgoing, socially confident person. This trait relates to social interaction, not the quality of one's work or personal standards.
  • Option B: An optimist is someone who is hopeful and confident about the future. This trait relates to a person's general outlook and attitude, not their pursuit of flawlessness.
  • Option D: A narcissist has an excessive interest in themselves and a need for admiration. While they may want to appear perfect to others, their core motivation is self-centeredness and entitlement, not an internal drive for quality and flawlessness in their tasks.

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Vocabulary and Personality Traits as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
  • Understanding personality traits like perfectionism is important in nursing to manage one's own stress and prevent burnout, as perfectionists can be prone to high anxiety and self-criticism.
  • In a healthcare team, recognizing these traits in colleagues can improve communication. For example, a perfectionist colleague might appreciate detailed instructions, while an extroverted one might excel in patient communication roles.
  • What if? If a patient exhibits extreme perfectionism about their recovery (e.g., wanting to walk perfectly just days after major surgery), a nurse's role is to provide reassurance and help them set realistic, achievable goals to prevent frustration and feelings of failure.
How to Approach the Question
  • First, carefully analyze the definition provided in the question: 'A person who always strives for flawlessness'.
  • Identify the core concept, which is the pursuit of being perfect or without any faults.
  • Evaluate each option based on its standard definition and see how well it matches the core concept.
  • 'Extrovert' relates to social behavior. 'Optimist' relates to attitude and outlook. 'Narcissist' relates to self-obsession and entitlement.
  • The word 'Perfectionist' is derived from 'perfect' and directly describes a person who is driven by the need for perfection or flawlessness.
  • Conclude that 'Perfectionist' is the only term that accurately fits the given definition.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Vocabulary and Personality Traits
  • Stem keywords: person, strives, flawlessness
  • Lead-in keywords: Choose the correct word
  • Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

QscvBAWa9e6TLwHm3_MUWC

Reference Book

E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) p. 1792-1794

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 7199-7201

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