Is it bad to be Obsessive Compulsive

TennVet

TennVet

Member
My wife has a gentle way of nudging me on this. Eating out I will start arranging things on the table, and she will quietly move one, then another. When I take note there is that knowing smile of hers. On the other hand, my professional life was in the world of finance and accounting. Being obsessive and even compulsive in that work actually became a benefit that led to success. You see it is a very good for accounting professionals to get information reports delivered on time and to check the details compulsively. Maybe a career made unknowingly at the time but overall it served me well.
 

I say no as long as it's not crippling to your life, like being late because you have to check the locks 25 times.

Many times in life I wished I could ignore some of my tendencies but overall I think as you stated TennVet that I benefited. I was a machinist and moved into design/engineering work and I believe my compulsive need for order and perfection served me well.

The negative for me has always been other people's influence on my environment. Hard to explain but when I see something out of sorts I need to correct it, that's lead to a lot of stress in my life.
 
Amen. As a veteran with some admitted issues related to that part of my like. I need some help separating the excess from the reasonable. I try to take some of my flaws and convert them to something that works positively for me. Some of it works but it's not fool proof. There are times that we just have to do the best we can. Good talk.
 

January said:
Like most things it depends on the degree.

If it is at the level that is comfortable to live with and it does not adversely affect your life or the life of anyone else - then no problem.

If it is causing negative impacts, then time to get help.
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Yes!

I do dislike the alternative - sloppy, disorganized, indifferent, irresponsible. As builders say, "Measure twice, cut once". ;)
 
TennVet said:
My wife has a gentle way of nudging me on this. Eating out I will start arranging things on the table, and she will quietly move one, then another. When I take note there is that knowing smile of hers. On the other hand, my professional life was in the world of finance and accounting. Being obsessive and even compulsive in that work actually became a benefit that led to success. You see it is a very good for accounting professionals to get information reports delivered on time and to check the details compulsively. Maybe a career made unknowingly at the time but overall it served me well.
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My professional life was in banking so I totally get it. Even long after I moved on from the teller line I would be called over to help when someone was badly out of balance. When I saw something like a hairbrush in one of the money drawers it would set my teeth on edge.

My husband is almost as bad as I am so we both set the table straight in restaurants. I was at the library yesterday and found several small print books in with the large prints and corrected that, plus I front as I go so you can always see where I've been (heh.) As long as we aren't nagging others or insisting they be like us I don't see the harm.
 
I do like things in order. I will straighten up in a store if things have fallen off hangers and such.
Probably why people are always asking me where the bathroom is. 🙂
I think it always served me well at work.
 


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