The growing social and cultural pressure to pursue "perfection" is profoundly transforming our daily lives., interpersonal relationships and professional dynamics. This structural tendency tends to permeate all spheres of social life, generates new discomforts and new cultural and psychological reactions. It modifies the forms and meaning of personal experience, life goals and the perception of one's existential path, up to the way of relating to oneself and the world.

The seminar focused on these topics "Lost in Perfection? Care, Relationships and Lifestyles Between Ideal and Performance", which was held today, Wednesday November 13, 2024 at the Great Hall of theUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma. Coordinated by teacher. Andrea Maccarini, Full Professor of Sociology at the University of Padua and member of the Consulting Committee "Philosophy and Science" UCBM, saw the intervention of experts from different disciplines, with the aim of exploring the impact of global society on the perception of the self and on modern forms of "self-care". The inaugural session was entrusted to Prof. Vera King, professor of Sociology and Social Psychology at the University of Frankfurt, who will offer an introductory reflection on the phenomenon.

The seminar was attended by teachers and researchers UCBM, with specialist interventions of ingengineers, psychologists, plastic surgeons, teachers of moral philosophy and food science who will contribute to providing a multidisciplinary overview of the topic, analyzing the cultural, psychological and social implications of "perfection" as optimization of human performance.

| Perfection as a performance |
In an era marked by a growing acceleration of the pace of life and a strong competitiveness, "perfection" is no longer conceived as an abstract ideal, but as a measurable and optimizable objective, an efficiency of one's own abilities that extends to every aspect of existence. Care relationships, life goals and the perception of one's existential path change. Contemporary culture promotes an ideal of success that spingand individuals to constantly improve themselves, with the adoption of practices ranging from cosmetic surgery to fitness programs, from meditation to self-monitoring of performance. With them, the forms of personal discomfort also change, opening the way to feelings such as a sense of inadequacy, anxiety and lack of hope.

| The dilemmas of ongoing transformations |
In this scenario the seminar explored the dilemmas that these transformations raise: how do they influence our self-understanding, our sociability, interpersonal relationships and bonds of care? How do we modify our perception of the body, of time and of our identity in response to these new cultural and social dynamics? And what are the ethical and psychological implications of a constant and measurable "improvement" of the self? The theme of "self-improvement", "self-care" and "work on yourself" they change in turn and, in this perspective, they develop within subjects "in search of perfection" by building a set of practices and activities aimed at self-improvement.

| A comparison between social sciences, philosophy and professions |
The seminar offered aopportunities for critical reflection, inviting participants to confront the social, cultural and ethical implications of these trends. How does the concept of oneself change? How do relationships and personal bonds change? How can contemporary society redesign the concept of "flourishing" human? What space is left for a critical vision of reality? How to respond to a cultural pressure that seems to leave no room for alternatives? And what role can social sciences and philosophy play in this debate?

The following professors participated in the seminar:Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma:

  • Giorgio Pennazza, Full Professor of Electronics for Sensory Systems Departmental Faculty of Ingengineering;
  • Marco Santonico, Professor of Electronics and Vice Dean of the Departmental Faculty of Sciences and Technologies for Sustainable Development and One Health;
  • Luca Vollero, Associate Professor in Information Processing Systems of the Departmental Faculty of Ingengineering;
  • Loredana Zollo, Departmental Faculty Dean of Ingengineering;
  • Annalisa Cogliandro, University Researcher UCBM and Specialist in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery at the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico;
  • Paolo Pellegrino, medical psychotherapist and teacher of Social Psychology UCBM;
  • Giampaolo Ghilardi, Associate Professor of Fundamentals of Anthropology and Ethics;
  • Laura Dalla Ragione Professor of Eating Disorders, Faculty of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development and One Health.