Adviсe
- Is pedantry good or bad?
- Negative character traits of a pedant
- Pathological pedantry
- Pedants and profession
- Pedants in everyday life
- Pedants are irreplaceable workers
- Career prospects for pedants
- Cleanliness in everything
- Pedant parents
Pedantry (or pedantry) - what is it in psychology? We are talking about a personality quality that presupposes the presence of extreme precision and accuracy in a person’s actions, as well as an excessive tendency to comply with formal requirements and rules . If a person is pedantic, then he zealously and thoroughly follows the rules and certain norms, which he accepts for himself.
Who is a pedant?
A pedant is an extremely precise, neat and tidy person, inclined to comply with rules and requirements, scrupulously maintaining order. Pedantry manifests itself to different degrees in different people, affecting different aspects of life in different ways. Such a person can be extremely neat and pay maximum attention to the cleanliness of his clothes. At the same time, his wardrobe, from the point of view of a person who follows fashion trends, will look very mediocre.
Sometimes pedantry can take on morbid and manic forms (Dr. Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory is a great example). For the pedant himself, this personality trait can be both a useful advantage and a serious drawback that interferes with life and work. For example, pedantry is useful in the work of a lawyer, for whom it is important to formulate thoughts as accurately as possible, avoiding double interpretations. But in personal life, pedantry is more of a hindrance than a help.
Pedantry, what is it?
The meaning of the word pedantry is revealed in strict adherence to laws, while the priority of laws is determined by the internal choices of a person, and not those established by society. A person who is characterized by pedantry, arrives on time and leaves when called, is precise and principled in detail (if at lunchtime he cleans up his desk every day and then drinks tea, then your proposal to change the order and spend this hour in a cafe may be met with indignation , and sometimes even aggression).
In psychology, pedantry is one of the sides of narcissism, since all efforts made are made for personal self-satisfaction, even if it looks strange and inappropriate to others.
Pedantry, what is it? External manifestations of pedantry can be socially useful (neatness, maintaining strict order). In general, this is a desire to bring the state of the surrounding world closer to a certain ideal, in the opinion of a pedant, state. Examples of everyday manifestations of pedantry can be: arranging books on a shelf in a certain order (by color or size); finding all things in the house in their specific places; rituals associated with leaving work or home (finish the entire to-do list, check the water and electricity); strict adherence to the work plan, as well as exclusively performing one’s duties agreed upon in advance, regardless of changes in the situation; maintaining cleanliness and hygiene (brush your teeth strictly for ten minutes, wash your hands after each touching someone, cleaning the apartment once a week, etc.).
Pedants are also characterized by concern for their health; among them there are practically no cases of alcoholism or drug addiction. This is not due to the presence of moral principles, but to the horror that a person experiences from the state of lack of control that accompanies all types of intoxication.
It is difficult for people with pedantry to relax completely, because their lives are subject to certain rules, non-compliance with which leads to an increase in the level of anxiety, and compliance with which takes up almost all of their life time.
Pedantry in work is almost entirely based on calculation and conscious execution; it is part of a life style that helps to achieve good results. Since there are many things that can be done automatically or out of habit, and do not require high energy costs, but at the same time can bring very significant benefits (for example, maintaining order on the desktop saves a lot of time, which would otherwise be spent on searching for necessary things or documents). Actions in the case of business pedantry are completely subordinate to the person, do not deeply affect his emotional sphere and can be stopped at any time by the person himself, without any negative experiences.
Pedantry is often combined with personal criticality, thanks to which a person analyzes incoming information. In the case of pedants, the chances of taking any information on faith are unlikely. Before changing their established life, they will carefully analyze alternative knowledge to the smallest detail and only then include it in the model of their own world.
Pedantry is a personality quality in psychology, which, when manifested excessively, is a trigger for the development of excessive anxiety, which essentially has no place and has nothing to do with the reality of what is happening. Thus, a person may have a nervous breakdown due to the inability to disinfect his palms at a certain time, or an important business meeting may be disrupted because, according to his ideas, he should not step on lines on the floor.
Differences between a pedant and a perfectionist
A pedant should not be confused with a perfectionist. The first one pays maximum attention to detail and meticulously follows the rules. And if he is sure that he did everything right, he is satisfied even with an imperfect result.
Perfectionists, on the other hand, are often careless and prefer to work in an environment of “creative chaos.” They do not strive to follow the rules in the process. The main thing is that the result is impeccable. Both pedants and perfectionists pay maximum attention to detail, but for different reasons. A perfectionist is afraid that the result will not be ideal. And the pedant is afraid that he himself will turn out to be imperfect (wrong).
Pedantry is a European trait
Pedantry has a pronounced geographical reference. It is more typical for residents of Europe , and is less common in Russia.
There are legends about German pedants; there is even a common expression “German pedantry.” In the memoirs of Soviet front-line soldiers, there is a statement that during the Great Patriotic War, it was possible to set watches based on enemy artillery shelling, and at lunchtime the Germans did not attack at all.
There is an element of exaggeration here, but such facts are confirmed by excerpts from the memoirs and letters of German soldiers.
Tourists never tire of sharing stories about how German residents hang their laundry strictly by size, avoid impulse purchases, maintain perfect order on the streets, and even visit their parents only by invitation.
Thanks to pedantry, the quality of German goods is considered impeccable, and they are in high demand all over the world.
How did the term come about?
The words “pedantry” and “pedant” came to the Russian language from Latin through French. In French, the word pédant means "teacher". It comes from the Latin paedagogans, which translates to “teacher.” Initially, in Russian, this word was used to describe a picky teacher who requires students to follow all the rules.
It is important to consider the context here, since schooling today is very different from what it was a couple of centuries ago. Then the teacher was a mentor, teaching children not only literacy, but also “smartness.” And the word “pedant” stuck with the most picky teachers who flaunted their own learning. Today, this word is used to describe an overly neat and scrupulous person, inclined to comply with all rules and formal requirements.
Absurd behavior
A pedantic type of accentuation in a person’s character means that he is quite satisfied with his habits and believes that it is impossible to live otherwise. But sometimes pathological manifestations can deprive him of peace or even sleep. Gradually all the joy of life disappears, turning a person into a psychopath, enveloping him on all sides with obsessive thoughts.
Burying himself in his scrupulous details, a pedantic psychopath even loses the ability to complete the work he has started. All his rules, laws and orders take precedence over the person himself, their implementation becomes the meaning of existence. And at the same moment, the best human qualities, such as justice and tolerance, are completely destroyed by pettiness and pickiness. Sometimes a pedantic person herself understands that her behavior is sometimes simply absurd, but she cannot deviate from her line of behavior.
How to recognize a pedant?
A pedantic person is revealed by his appearance and demeanor. He is always neat and well-groomed, his hair is neat, and his facial hair is either completely absent or well-groomed. Of course, a pedant will never appear in public wearing a wrinkled shirt, unironed trousers, or insufficiently clean shoes. His wardrobe always consists of almost new things that show no signs of wear. As a rule, these are simple clothes of a classic style. Pedants do not strive to impress others by flaunting the latest fashions.
Behavior is a more important criterion than appearance and clothing. External neatness and grooming only reflect the internal demands of a pedant towards himself and others. His pedantry is evident both in work and in his personal life. In a profession, this personality trait can be useful. Pedants make first-class accountants, successful lawyers, and outstanding scientists. But for the family, this is a real punishment, because in everyday life, excessive meticulousness does not make people happy.
Anankast in everyday life
Pedants fit into the team very well and become simply irreplaceable people in many professions. For example, if an aircraft designer checking the serviceability of an aircraft before takeoff turns out to be a pedantic person, checks and revises everything many times, then this will only bring benefits. However, think about what could happen if pedantry goes off scale? Such an aircraft designer may simply overdo it in his frequent checks and, with his excessive diligence, twist or tear something.
A pedantic person is someone who constantly double-checks their homework. Whether the light, iron or gas is turned off, a pedantic person would better check it several times before leaving home. Moreover, it has never happened that he forgot to do at least something from this list.
As for pedantic women, their house is constantly clean and tidy. Housewives polish and iron everything to such an extent that everything in the house sparkles, like in a museum. But housework often takes a lot of time due to the fact that washing floors or dishes can be up to 4 times a day. Before preparing the soup, vegetables are washed more than once. And so it is in everything.
Pros of a pedant
Scrupulousness helps pedantic people carefully analyze information and make informed decisions, which is useful in many areas of activity. A smart manager who understands what a pedant is will no doubt entrust such an employee with working with finances or legal documents. Pedants make excellent auditors, engineers and scientists. They are successful in business because they handle money skillfully and rarely take risky operations.
Pedantry is useful for any person managing important business processes. This character trait makes a person more careful and careful, which allows him to effectively avoid pitfalls at the cost of a slight decrease in productivity. If the leader is a pedant, the organization will be able to avoid many troubles associated with both market instability and potential internal problems. Often in business, pedantry is as important a trait as creativity or determination.
Career
A pedantic person is a literalist, a formalist and an unbearable bore, but there are professions where these qualities are irreplaceable and in demand. If you put him in certain conditions, he may be prone to psychosthenia and hypochondria. Often people with pedantic qualities become good leaders and rise very high.
This happens even against their will. It’s just that a responsible person who performs his duties well often moves higher up the career ladder. But still, pedantic leaders are afraid to make risky decisions on their own, and also never take responsibility for the misdeeds of others (this also applies to subordinates).
Disadvantages of a pedant
The negative aspects of pedantry have the greatest impact on personal life. In relationships and friendships, people do not strive to strictly adhere to rules. Personal and friendly communication usually takes place in a relaxed atmosphere. And if someone makes excessive demands on others, this does not cause much delight. That’s why pedants often have a difficult personal life, and they usually don’t have really close friends. And the only solution to this problem is to learn to approach life more simply.
Sometimes pedantry reaches such proportions that a person constantly experiences inconvenience and is well aware of it, but cannot do anything about it. He doesn’t want to spend a lot of effort and energy on following his own rules, but any attempts to break them irritate him and provoke stress and depression. If a pedant has reached such a state, then only a good vacation will help him. A visit to a psychotherapist would also be a good idea.
Irreplaceable worker
Anankast, who works as an accountant, is immediately visible. All his reports are in perfect order, all figures are reduced to the smallest precision. Such a person will not have the motto in his work: “Do it somehow!”
A pedantic type of character often brings only advantages to its owner, naturally, if his behavior does not go beyond what is reasonable. Basically, anancasts are very serious and approach any issues thoroughly. Any work assigned to them will be done well and on time, since pedants are people of duty and conscientiously treat their duties.
How to communicate with a pedant
If your friend or dear person is a pedantic person, when communicating you need to take into account the characteristics of his character. This is especially important if the person is really dear to you. The fact is that he is irritated by any untidiness and irresponsibility. And if you do not meet his ideas of beauty, he will eventually be disappointed in you.
If, with him, you show punctuality, accuracy, accuracy and scrupulousness, then he will begin to distinguish you from other people. Understanding well who a pedant is, it is not difficult to please him. Maintain strictness, first of all, in clothing and behavior. Pretty soon you will feel that communication is becoming more trusting, and he begins to perceive you as a friend or a potential romantic partner.
Sometimes it can be useful to pretend to be a pedant during a job interview. Even if the employer is not one himself, he will consider the candidate’s pedantry a plus.
If you have no personal interest in a friendly or romantic relationship with a pedant, it is better to avoid unnecessary communication with him. With his demandingness, he can ruin the mood of both himself and you. But you shouldn’t think that pedantry makes a person bad. It would be more correct to say that he has “sharp corners” that you can learn to work around if you are interested in communication.
SGP - grammatical pedantry syndrome
What is grammatical pedantry syndrome? Is it a disease and what are its symptoms? Is every person who notices the mistakes of their interlocutor susceptible to this disorder?
Research results classify Grammatical Pedantry Syndrome (GPS) as one of the forms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), characterized by obsessive states. Patients diagnosed with OCD experience doubts, anxiety and fear, which they try to compensate for by repeating a set of monotonous actions: opening and closing the door several times, wiping dust, washing dishes, constantly washing their hands, checking something, suffering from pathological hoarding or superstition, etc. n. Different manifestations of OCD can be characterized by different symptoms, which include symptoms of HPS.
People suffering from HPS, when encountering a grammatical error, become extremely irritated and experience an irresistible desire to correct it. They are loudly indignant when they hear a mistake on air, nervously shake the newspaper when they discover a typo in an article, and leave sarcastic comments on forums, causing heated debates that have nothing to do with the content of the article. They correct mistakes in the speech of friends and family, risking ruining their relationships with them. They find fault with missing or extra commas, complaining about the decline of education and inflating the problem to national proportions.
A feeling of discomfort, accompanied by irritation, disgust, and anxiety at the sight of a grammatical error, separates HSP as a mental disorder from ordinary literacy. Despite the fact that it does not have a noticeable effect on a person’s physical condition, an increase in compulsivity, anxiety and irritability as a consequence of the syndrome is a reason to seek the advice of a psychotherapist.
