Katharine Graham Quotes

My parents were amazing and wonderful, but there was a lot of pressure to do my best and in every way possible.

If I didn't do something perfectly, I had to do it again... I grew up with a glue gun pointed at my head.

People mistake their limitations for high standards.

I don't want to make a cheap analysis, but when you have, like I did, a father incapable of showing emotion, who spends his life telling you that no one will love you if you aren't perfect, it leaves scars.

It was a mixed blessing to have famous parents. It was tough to go to auditions and be bad, since I couldn't be anonymous.

My dad was very critical and had very high expectations without a lot of the details filled in. It was, 'I expect you to achieve greatness in grades, in athletics, in whatever you do.'

Perfectionism rarely begets perfection, or satisfaction - only disappointment.

During those years with the Iron Maidens, I felt I had to be great and really prove myself at every single show.

It's tough for a child to deal with expectations that people have if they have a successful parent. A child often fails to cope with the same and constantly tries to find out possible ways to excel - just to live up to the name.

I'm my own most merciless critic onstage.

The relentless pursuit of perfection has been my problem over the years. It's maybe held me back.

Perfectionism becomes a badge of honor with you playing the part of the suffering hero.

Dickens had more energy than anyone in the world, and he expected his sons to be like him, and they couldn't be.

Everyone's set the bar really high and expects me to be brilliant.

I had such high expectations of myself. I was going to be the best mother, the best housewife, the best entertainer, the best nurse, you know - what it was, I was going to be the best. And I could never live up to my expectations.

Needing to have things perfect is the surest way to immobilize yourself with frustration.

They very seldom let me lose my cool. They made me like I was Polly Perfect, which was ridiculous so that when I bump into kids on the street they'd say 'I wish my Mom were like you.'

Parents are the worst teachers, if they are good at it and you're not. My father thought I was the densest offspring he could have produced.

A lot of times, in the beginning of my career, I put pressure on myself just because I wanted to perform so well. I just wanted to be perfect.

It sounds funny, but my biggest fear is that I'm not perfect. I'm a perfectionist, and I get upset when things go wrong or when I don't do well.

I think some parents fall into a trap, teaching their kids that everything is always perfect and everyone is always a winner.

I think my father had a certain degree of insecurity and need to achieve.

If I came home with a grade of A, my father would say, 'There must have been a lot of dummies in that class.'

Maybe I was intimidated by my father's talent and success.

My parents, they were just really strict on things being perfect.