General information
The meaning of pedantry, meticulous adherence to certain requirements and rules that are established by society, taking into account all the little things. It can manifest itself in exposing the mistakes of other people, in the selection of shoes and clothes according to the requirements of etiquette.
When we say a pedantic person, we imagine a reserved, neat, punctual person who carefully fulfills his duties and does not need outside supervision. Pedantry does not immediately manifest itself as a pathological condition. When you meet such a person for the first time, you can see a meticulous person who is accustomed to order in everything. However, over time it becomes clear that such an individual cannot make decisions independently and is unable to move from theory to practice.
A pedantic person is a neat person who tends to follow formalities and rules. Such people may be considered boring, and colleagues may refuse to communicate with them. They never commit actions without thinking them through, without weighing all the pros and cons. Such people are respected by their colleagues and appreciated by their superiors. A love for little things may be appropriate in certain professions and useful in everyday life, but a pedantic attitude can be completely unbearable. The behavioral characteristics of such an individual can be difficult to perceive, both by others and by himself. For pedants, taking care of health is important. That is why you are unlikely to meet a drug addict or alcoholic among such people. And it’s not about moral principles, but about the fear of losing control over oneself. Such people are unable to completely relax, because there are always some rules that must be followed and they must be in tension.
Many people have the makings of pedantry, which manifest themselves to a lesser or greater extent. It’s normal when a teacher has such inclinations and spends his energy searching for grammatical errors in a test text or when a specialist is engaged in systematizing a client database. Pedantry would be appropriate here. The same cannot be said about a situation where a family demands perfect cleanliness. This can acquire a state of obsession and become tyranny for the whole family.
Meaning of the word pedantic
Examples of the use of the word pedantic in literature.
Rejecting the pedantic reproduction of features alien to the Russian language, Balmont, in his translations using contemporary versification, managed to convey the poetic element of Calderon’s dramas, without deviating from the meaning of the original.
Cheerfully and meticulously, this city was always rebuilt using traditional local materials: tinder-dry wood and straw impregnated with resin for water resistance.
Their very appearance: the pedantic smooth writing, the imperturbable stringing of words along a string, the careful ornamental design of curls and squiggles in each word - everything suggests that here one will not find either originality of thought or individuality of expression.
Evers, the dry and pedantic chief of staff of the division, Oberst Kunst, Hauptmann Lutz and Goldring.
Usually the most cold-blooded and pedantic racer, a supporter of safety, an opponent of recklessness, whose stake is human life, he began to gradually deviate from his own rules and cared less and less about safety in his triumphant races on European racetracks.
One way or another, the bisexual division of homo sapiens and the quirks of fate connected the pedantic Lieutenant General Joseph Netterville Burton with the flirtatious, spoiled, but morally stable Martha Becker.
Having prepared everything as needed, Drum clasped his hands behind his back, threw back his head, closed his eyes and began his lecture in such a pedantic tone, as if he were delivering it not to three people, but to a huge auditorium full of students.
Over the next twenty days, Haviland Tuf and Kevira Qui plied the expanses of the skies of Namoria, meticulously seeding the seas in squares.
He became less and less pedantic, more emotional, his self-centeredness began to take precedence over social conformity, outbursts of irritation and anger became more frequent, and finally, real megalomania set in - after which Emeritus disappeared.
Max von Laue was a tall, pedantic old man, as if he was carved out of granite.
Moreover, the merits of Amiot’s translation, as we know, consist not so much in pedantic fidelity to the original, but in the ability to find a style that exactly corresponds to the theme, that is, full of strength, simplicity and charm, and it is not possible to deny the skillful translator of Longus and Heliodorus knowledge of his native language no one dares, and here neither Lui nor Momon, not to mention the Italian Giacomelli, can compete with him.
However, if it had not been for this pedantic attitude towards operations in a theater of war that was of less importance, we, in addition to all the successes of the Italian campaign, could easily have gained control of the Aegean Sea and, as was quite likely, achieved the accession of Turkey to us.
Now is not the time to pedantically observe traditions - at least those that have become harmful.
The mother herself was overly strict, tried to pedantically observe the daily routine, endlessly read morals to her daughter and frightened her with all sorts of consequences of disobedience.
Left alone with his muse, he concentratedly and pedantically, with quiet reverence, painted Yulina’s shell with poster ink.
Source: Maxim Moshkov library
Advantages and disadvantages
Pedantry can have negative and positive connotations. The advantages of this quality include:
- more opportunities to achieve better results than other people,
- exceptional performance of work,
- the opportunity to engage in scrupulous and painstaking work,
- work for results,
- maintaining cleanliness,
- planning the day,
- completing tasks on time,
- discipline,
- diligence,
- bringing things started to completion,
- conscientiousness.
Negative aspects appear in the case of extreme pedantry:
- the need to perform high-level work can influence the deterioration of results,
- self-criticism can acquire signs of paranoia,
- an intolerant attitude towards colleagues and other people can provoke a negative attitude towards pedants,
- turning down good jobs or chances in life due to fear of making mistakes,
- feeling of tension, anxiety because something is not yet perfect,
- a person tries to impose his opinion on others, which can cause hostile relationships and conflicts,
- a sense of duty and kindness can reach the point of idiocy,
- there is a slowdown in business
- mental and nervous processes in the body slow down.
As you can see, pedantry can cause more problems than positive aspects. Everything should be in moderation. If a person can control himself, tries to do the job well, and does not jump over his head, this will be good, there is no need to go to extremes.
If a child’s parents are pedantic and self-confident, they can create a complex schedule for the child, demand that he comply with all the specified actions, control the child, monitor what time he gets up, what time he comes home from school, what time he goes to bed. Naturally, not every child will be able to withstand such a load, complex psychological pressure. And this can lead to serious problems, including in the educational process. It will affect the psychological health of a growing person and provoke the development of phobias and complexes.
Positive character traits of a pedant
Pedants also have their virtues. The pedantic type of people are usually responsible, efficient, very precise in business, and can clearly express their opinions. They cope with their official duties wonderfully. It’s very good if their work involves documents, then everything will definitely be perfect and in order. A pedant is a person who never does work hastily. It is not common for him to frequently change his place of work or rearrange his apartment; he is constant, values what he has, respects the team, and loves those around him. The pedant’s apartment always shines with neatness and cleanliness; there is not the slightest hint of disorder. The appearance of pedantic people is always particularly neat. Even at home, the pedant looks perfect; you will never catch him by surprise in worn slippers and with disheveled hair. Pedants are in no hurry to make hasty decisions. They will always weigh the pros and cons. Pedants are indispensable in areas where accuracy, punctuality, and precision in performing duties are required.
When does pathology occur?
Having manic manifestations, a person will repeatedly double-check his conclusions. In psychiatry, individuals who behave this way are called representatives of the anankastic type. Such an individual, when going outside, will check several times whether all household appliances are turned on; doing homework takes much more time than ordinary people. After all, it is extremely important that everything is perfect and shiny. Such a person can wash the dishes two or three times.
But not all pedants become anancasts. Often their behavior patterns are quite acceptable to society. In the work sphere, they even have advantages due to increased responsibility, seriousness and the ability to do everything perfectly. This quality can be detrimental to the personality when neuroses occur. Anxiety will be especially acute. Anankast will not be a good worker, since he will have to analyze the completed task for a long time, because of which he will begin to fall behind the schedule and become much weaker than his colleagues. Such individuals are characterized by suspiciousness and increased anxiety.
Is pedantry good or bad?
The meaning of the word pedantry can take on a positive and negative connotation, depending on its manifestation, as well as who is evaluating it. Positive manifestations include planning the day, maintaining cleanliness and always completing tasks on time. For the person himself, these manifestations are certainly positive, although some people around him may be irritated by the lack of spontaneity and a certain meticulousness.
Pedantry, like any manifestation of human characteristics, can be an advantage and can be a disadvantage, which depends on the level of development of pedantic manifestations. When manifested in moderation, pedantry contributes to the manifestation of discipline and diligence. It is this characteristic that helps to start activities on time and complete what has been started, and contributes to the conscientious execution of tasks. In critical projects where there are clear deadlines, employees with moderately developed pedantry are most valued. In this case, pedantry is good.
In its extreme manifestation, the pedant considers his beliefs to be exclusively true and imposes them on others, which provokes a hostile attitude towards the pedant and dictator. Excessive pedantry, as a personality trait, closely correlates with the slowness of neuropsychic processes, kindness and a sense of duty on the verge of idiocy, which entails a delay in making decisions and completing things (after all, there is always the smallest detail that does not quite correspond and needs to be corrected). In this case, pedantry is bad.
Pedants suffer from a lack of psychological flexibility and a narrow circle of friends (there are people nearby who can be tolerant of all the characteristics of a pedant). In its negative perspective, pedantry (anankasty) indicates the presence of a deep fear of life and an irrepressible desire to weaken it at least a little, by introducing control in all areas. The more control a person establishes, the safer and predictable events become, the less frightening life seems, but this does not provide a real guarantee, since the world is uncontrollable and impossible to predict.
In the case of excessive pedantry, which is already acquiring the characteristics of a disease, a person is not able to get rid of the emotions associated with the actions performed, even if he can still control the actions themselves. In such cases, even curtains that are not hung at the “correct” angle can leave a mark on the pedant’s state of mind for a long time. In some cases, morbid pedantry develops into obsessive-compulsive disorder (with characteristic compulsions, such as constant hand washing) and psychosis.
How can you train yourself to be pedantic? In addition to the manifestation of excessive pedantry, some people have a lack of it. Pedantry is lacking for people who are often late, do not care about compliance with norms and rules, and are little concerned about their own appearance and the presence of order. This may be a manifestation of creativity in a person, which does not tolerate predictability and stability, provides the ability to navigate a changing situation and the ability to quickly switch. But if a lack of discipline negatively affects a person’s life, then one should begin to develop this ability.
The development of the missing pedantry can be started by identifying your own tasks and following them exclusively. Good at practical application of the technique and filtering out extraneous, interfering matters. It’s worth planning your own day and organizing your space.
As with most concepts, it is impossible to definitively determine whether pedantry is good or bad. It all depends on the person, the situation, the degree of manifestation and impact on the quality of life.
“How do you feel about pedants?” - a question to the interlocutor.
"I do not belong to them!" - the answer may sound with contempt and humor.
Our society has a dual attitude towards pedantic people. Some consider their behavior to be a role model. Others make fun of them, calling such people too “correct.”
Pedantry (pedantry) manifests itself as an absolute desire for precision and accuracy in actions, for compliance with formal requirements and rules.
Pedantic people are characterized by such qualities as scrupulousness, love of order in everything, accuracy, thoroughness in doing work, attention to detail and even pettiness. Pedants are most often responsible, dutiful, punctual people, demanding of themselves and others in terms of compliance with certain rules. This is the undoubted advantage of such people. They play a significant role in society because they always maintain order, add structure to everything, and ensure that any activity is carried out efficiently. It is pedantic people who develop norms and rules and justify the need to follow them.
But there is an inflection point in everything. And this trait is no exception. Some people may experience painful pedantry, when accuracy in everything and following the rules becomes an obsession. A person can constantly correct and move any objects that he believes are incorrect. Or worry greatly about a broken cup, because now the service will be incomplete, and this, in his opinion, should not be the case. First of all, such an excess of pedantry is destructive for the person himself, since he can no longer control his actions and is under the rule of obsessive habits. This also has a detrimental effect on those around them, since they also become involved in the cycle of the pedant’s obsessive rules.
