The purpose of this study is to understand the essence of the psychosocial experiences of married working women with evaluative concerns perfectionism, who navigate life amid multiple roles and high achievement expectations. These women are constantly evaluated in both their professional and personal lives. This study interviewed ten married working women with perfectionist tendencies to understand how they experienced perfectionism and what it meant for them. The interviews were analyzed using Colaizzi’s (1978) phenomenological method. The study found that the participants perceived themselves as inadequate and unlovable, leading them to disconnect from themselves and abandon their identities to prove their worth. Their struggle to overcome vulnerability and become better versions of themselves was an attempt to gain acceptance from their parents and significant others. The participants’ psychosocial characteristics in their work and relationships emerged as the phenomenon of ‘abandoning their true selves to prove themselves’. They sought to confirm their existence in ways that were acceptable to others, pursuing perfection while becoming disconnected from themselves. This study’s significance lies in identifying the psychosocial characteristics and meaning of life of married working women who have evaluative concerns perfectionism and in providing an empirical basis to be able to understand them more deeply.
