Whether you were spoiled growing up (that may or may not have been the case for me) or you just decided one day you weren’t going to settle for anything less than you deserve in life, all of us have high standards in one form or another -- it’s what makes us strong and independent individuals. Nevertheless, there are a few qualities that inevitably accompany our “never settle” attitudes:
1. We’re easily disappointed.
When we have a certain idea in our heads that’s the least bit plausible, there’s no going back. I can tell myself a million times that something isn’t likely to happen, but I’ll always be a little bit sad when it doesn’t follow through. Like the hundreds of times I’ve made it to the front row at a concert and the lead singer doesn’t spot me in the crowd and immediately fall in love with me. You’re telling me I put lipstick on for nothing?
2. We prefer to be alone.
Because how can you be disappointed if you don’t set yourself up to be?
3. We’re easily frustrated with ourselves.
I was raised being told by not only parents, but grandparents, aunts and uncles that I’m smart for my age, smarter than the rest of my class, too smart for my own good. Of course, that not only set an expectation for others, but for myself. When I got to high school, I still had a high reading level and took advanced math classes, but so did everyone else. Suddenly I became average, and while my family still praised me, my expectations for myself didn’t lower. I could get a B+ on a test, but always think that I could have gotten an A if I'd only studied a little more. I could have gotten the job if only I'd worked a little harder. I could have made those pancakes better if only I'd added a few more chocolate chips.
4. We’re (almost) always single.
Obviously not every person with high standards is single; I mean, every person has a different idea of what they do and don’t deserve. I don’t necessarily think I deserveHarry Styles (never mind that I’ve dedicated five prime years of my life to him), but if my future husband isn’t tall with brown curly hair, dimples and an amazing singing voice, why am I even with him? (Joking… Kind of.) Basically, I read a lot of books and watch a lot of movies. And while I know deep down that real life is no "Twilight" love story, I’m going to avoid romantic relationships as long as possible in order to keep pretending my Edward Cullen will find me someday.
5. We’re pretty independent.
I won’t deny (and can’t, considering I’ve written an article about it) that I’ve always relied on my mom to do things for me, such as make my appointments or buy my tickets. However, I like to believe it’s because I needed the spare time to perfect other aspects of my life. If something can be easily messed up, I always play it safe and just do it myself. In other words, I’m constantly the person who opts for the independent project over the group one (or I offer to do all the work; yeah, you’re welcome).
6. We’re perfectionists.
I never half-ass anything. I know what I’m capable of and won’t settle for anything less than what I know I can put out there. This can be applied to something as seemingly insignificant as erasing an entire word even if I only mess up one letter. If I only erased the letter, it’s likely that the new letter would look like it didn’t belong; maybe it’s a different size, or the lead is darker or lighter than the rest of the word, or there’s not an equal amount of space on either side. I’m better than that.
7. We’re opinionated.
While I don’t often project it publicly, I tend to be secretly opinionated. I’m not very confrontational and don’t like drama or arguments, but I have a lot to say about a lot of topics. It just so happens that those conversations stay between me, myself and I, because who better to agree with you than yourself?
Sometimes having high standards feels like a really heavy load on your shoulders -- Why can’t I just be happy with that B+? -- but it’s OK to have expectations. And unlike that B+, I’ve come to accept the fact that the items on this list may always define me a little bit, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I can always go to bed at night knowing I tried my best, and my parents are proud of me no matter what, and I’m proud of me no matter what, and Harry Styles would be proud of me if he knew me, and that’s consolation in itself.
