Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor.

Anne Lamott uses this line in the context of her reflections on writing, creativity, and recovery from shame-driven self-judgment. In her advice to writers, she repeatedly warns that perfectionism masquerades as high standards but functions as a punitive inner authority that keeps people from drafting, experimenting, and finishing work. The remark appears amid her broader argument that creative practice requires tolerating messiness and imperfection—“shitty first drafts”—and that the demand to get everything right on the first try is psychologically coercive rather than morally elevating. The “oppressor” is the internalized voice of criticism that polices expression and undermines freedom.

Lamott’s aphorism treats perfectionism as a form of internalized domination: an “oppressor” that polices the self through impossible standards and constant judgment. Rather than leading to excellence, perfectionism functions as a control mechanism—silencing experimentation, vulnerability, and honest expression by making any imperfect attempt feel unsafe. In creative work, it can prevent drafting altogether; in personal life, it can sustain shame and anxiety by equating worth with flawlessness. The quote’s force lies in its moral reframing: perfectionism is not a virtue but a coercive voice that must be recognized and resisted to reclaim agency and produce real, human work.