Pedantry is a personality quality characterized by strict adherence to rules, accuracy in business, everyday life, scrupulousness, and adherence to detail. A pedantic person strives to maintain the routine course of things, accepted formal norms. Pedantry can manifest itself to a mild degree - in this case it contributes to favorable socialization, the individual follows the norms of society. But there are also supernormal manifestations, which are associated with psychoneurological disorders expressed in obsessions. Such people are called anankasts.
In work activity, a person consciously adheres to pedantry in order to receive maximum benefit from work (manifested by high ability to work, meeting deadlines). A high level of pedantry in work and a painful high level have differences: in the first case, a person consciously strives for rationality, without experiencing strong emotions. The painful form is obsessive in nature.
What is pedantry
Pedantry is the individual’s desire for strict adherence to formalities and rules, for absolute precision and accuracy in actions. This is an accentuation of character. In the classification of personality types, German psychiatrist Karl Leonhard identified the pedantic personality type. Here's how the author described it:
- Weak repression mechanisms. It is difficult for a pedant to make a quick decision; he thinks about the idea and its execution for a long time, analyzes all possible options and looks for the optimal one. He is reasonable and thorough, not only at work, but also in everyday life. Even buying a cup will end in pedantic calculations and measurements, hysterics and arguments with your spouse.
- The desire to finish what you start. A pedant will never deviate from his intended tasks and requirements. He can sacrifice food, sleep, family in order to complete the work he has started.
- The seriousness and scrupulousness (precision, thoroughness in detail) of pedants is perceived by people around them as tediousness.
- Rigidity, that is, unpreparedness and inability to respond to changing environmental conditions, to change oneself according to requirements, to step over one’s principles.
- Inability to experience psychological trauma. The pedant does not know how to repress them; he will go back again and again in his memories, delve into himself, reproach and think about how he should have acted differently.
- Constant doubts and self-examinations, leading to indecision.
However, the same disadvantages of the pedantic type are advantages, for example, indecision makes the pedant a non-conflict person. He knows that he needs a lot of time to make a decision or select arguments, so he avoids controversial situations. But if the question of non-compliance with the rules arises, then the pedant is capable of not just conflict, but of showing aggression and even rage.
Pedants are conscientious, careful and punctual. In individual work with sufficient time, they have no equal. But under tight deadlines, extreme conditions or frequent changes of circumstances, they will not be able to work productively. Working in a team will also test both the nervous system of the pedant and his colleagues.
The whole life of a pedant is continuous order, structure and system of rules. He doesn’t like it when other people violate his principles, which makes pedantic types often lonely in their personal lives.
How to behave with a pedant?
To begin with, you should understand why you communicate with him. If there is such a need, then the character traits of this person should be taken into account. He cannot stand laxness, untidiness, or the habit of being late. So, when trying to please a pedant, it is necessary to show accuracy, punctuality, scrupulousness, neatness and respect for formalities. This should be expressed both in clothing and behavior. In this case, communication can take on more confidential forms. This is relevant, for example, during an interview with a potential employer who does not hide his pedantry.
If there is no need or desire to communicate, then it is better not to develop such a dialogue, since it cannot be called easy. Even in a good mood, a pedant is able to “load” any interlocutor. You can’t call such a person bad, he’s just very difficult to communicate with. Accordingly, if you notice notes of pedantry in your child, it is advisable to pay attention to this in the process of raising him. Let's talk about this.
Pedant and perfectionist: differences and similarities
Pedants are often confused with perfectionists. These concepts are really similar, pedantry can be a cause of perfectionism, but there is a significant difference: a pedantic person strives for order, and a perfectionist strives for ideality.
Other differences between pedantry and perfectionism:
- The pedant focuses on self-esteem, internal requirements and beliefs. For a perfectionist, external assessment is important; his self-esteem depends on it.
- A perfectionist strives for the ideal, for which he is able to look for new solutions. The pedant is conservative.
- A pedant has a more developed objectivism; for example, what is important to him is not the idea of things to do and the opinions of people, but the form of fulfillment and compliance with requirements even in small things.
- Unlike a perfectionist, a pedant can be satisfied with the result if everything is done strictly according to the rules.
A pedant and a perfectionist have similar personality traits: increased anxiety, fixation on failures and negative experiences, doubts about the correctness of their actions and choices.
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.
Signs of a pedantic person
Thus, the main signs of a pedant include:
- scrupulousness;
- the desire for order in everything, including small things;
- attention to detail, turning into pettiness;
- thorough and accurate performance of work;
- slowness in making decisions, thinking about all the little things, searching for the best option;
- the need to finish what has been started;
- reliability and responsibility.
Pedants are difficult to talk to. They need to know everything accurately, for sure and specifically. Everything is important to them; every remark must make sense and be supported by facts. That is why for other people a pedant becomes a bore. He does not know how to chat “just like that”, “for fun”, etc. He finds fault with words and wording.
Outwardly, all pedants are similar. Their appearance, as a rule, is also thought out to the smallest detail. But the internal norms by which pedants live are different.
Reasons for pedantry
Pedantic tendencies are formed in childhood. Their development is determined by the demanding style of family education. If authoritative parents deprived the child of freedom and independence, then in adulthood he will come up with boundaries for himself.
The second reason for the development of pedantry is the lack of a sense of security. If in childhood the child felt danger and inadequacy, then in adulthood there will be a need to control everything. The slightest weakness in the understanding of a pedant is a loss of stability, vulnerability, loss of security.
How to get rid of excessive pedantry
“Politeness and good manners are absolutely necessary in order to adorn any other virtues and talents. Without them, a scientist turns into a pedant, a philosopher into a cynic, a military man into a brute,” - F. Chesterfield.
Pedantic people are necessary for society; they develop and enforce social norms, help avoid chaos and systematize production. But pedantry becomes dangerous for the individual itself when it turns into obsessions and compulsive actions. For example, one broken plate can force you to throw out the entire set and buy a new one.
Excessive pedantry must be eliminated and brought to normal:
- The pedant is ruled by rationality. Accordingly, the severity of accentuation can be reduced through the development of the emotional sphere. Learn to understand other people and not be demanding. Perhaps the person is tired and therefore looks rumpled - he wrote a report all night. And because of the “blurred” look, I made a couple of mistakes.
- Learn to understand people's individual characteristics. Not everyone can be naturally active and attentive.
- Pedantry hinders development. Remember how long have you been marking time in one place? Make a chart of “time and energy thieves.” What useless things are you obsessing over?
- Make a plan for the coming months. What do you want to achieve? What should you do for this? How does this relate to what you are doing now?
- Realize that discoveries come from moments of experimentation, mistakes, and breaking the rules. How will you find a more effective way to solve a problem if you don't consider alternatives?
- Allow “chaos” to enter your life. Ask colleagues and family to help you. Make an agreement that for two days you will not arrange things according to your own rules and will not demand this from others (come up with the subject of the agreement regarding your behavioral characteristics). The goal is to understand that this does not affect life. Monitor your condition, describe your feelings.
- Learn to limit the time you spend on tasks. At the same time, make a plan in advance (from major to minor).
- Find a hobby and (or) profession that will satisfy the need to study details (calculations, modeling, paperwork, proofreading, chess). This will be your outlet. Leave pedantry only there, this will make it rational.
- From French pedant translates as “teacher”. A pedantic person is convinced of his own rightness and does not recognize other opinions; he strives to teach everyone. It is necessary to respect others, learn communication and empathy.
Realize that you are irrevocably wasting your time and life on trifles. Shouldn't we redirect our attention and potential to something more important and valuable? Determine your goal in life and a plan for its implementation. By the way, your pedantry will help you comply with it. Yes, it will be unusual to focus on deadlines at first, but this is necessary in order to learn how to highlight the main thing and move forward.
Typical pedant: who is he?
When answering the question of who a pedant is, people usually draw a portrait of a serious and demanding person, dressed to the nines, with shoes polished to a shine and with a perfect hairstyle.
This exaggerated image is close to reality, however, it is not appearance that “rules” here, but life attitudes and behavior in different situations.
A pedant is a person who has “packed” his life into frameworks and rules, which he strictly observes and demands the same from others.
A pedantic person always arrives on time; delays do not exist in his picture of the world. However, arriving early for him is an equally grave “sin.”
An ideal, museum-like order reigns in the pedant’s house - things (towels, dishes, books) are calibrated according to certain criteria, each with its own strictly designated place.
In terms of efficiency, a pedant is similar to a robot: he will not abandon the task halfway, and will painstakingly and meticulously carry out all the instructions of the manager. His documents are in order, nothing is lost or forgotten.
Such people are valued as ordinary employees, but if the boss is pedantic, not every subordinate can stand it.
Errors in the preparation of documents, “free” conversations during working hours, being late - all this falls into the list of grave sins. On the other hand, a pedantic leader does not make impulsive decisions, remembers the birthdays of his subordinates, and does not delay them after work without a good reason: he honors the Labor Code.
When raising children, pedants remain true to their principles.
In their picture of the world, a child must learn to walk, talk, and read within a strictly defined time frame. Children live according to a clear schedule, time for walks, meals, sleep is dosed.
But this does not mean that pedantic parents are insensitive robots. They love their children and sincerely believe that such upbringing is good for them.
Afterword
Pedantry becomes a problem when it goes beyond the rational, that is, it transforms into obsessions or a systematic lack of time. Irrational pedantry, in turn, turns into a syndrome of obsessive states, for example, a person arranges books strictly from high to low, places shoes in one line.
Rational pedantry does not interfere with life and is a useful habit. A person decides for himself (gives an instruction) that, for example, at work he will strictly adhere to all the rules and double-check documents. And at home with friends, the same person will easily forget to wash his hands or brush his teeth, and the dust will lie on the closet for another day if the rational pedant is very tired at work.
If a person is prone to pedantry (and such is 20% of the population), then the emerging problem will never completely go away. You need to learn to apply yourself in relevant areas. Pedantry is not a problem, but a personality trait that is in demand in design, construction, editing, etc.
Watch the video about the pedantic personality type (from 9:26 minutes):
Positive character traits of a pedant
Pedantry, if present as a character trait, manifests itself in almost every situation. A pedant can somehow arrange things in a closet or food in the refrigerator in a special way, hang clothes to dry in a certain order, and the like. He may be irritated by improperly placed shoes or misplaced dishes.
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.
