Pedant: who is he, pros and cons

Greetings, friends!

The word "pedant" is usually used to emphasize the excessive seriousness and scrupulousness of a person. Often this concept is given a disparaging meaning, hinting that pedantry is not characteristic of normal people. Today we will figure out who a pedant is and how much the stereotypical idea of him corresponds to reality. We will also find out what the pros and cons of pedantic individuals are, what their strengths and weaknesses are, how to communicate with them and build relationships.

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.

Kinds

Pedantry has no recognized classification. Conventionally, this quality is divided into two types depending on the level of manifestation:

Light, moderate pedantry.
Excessive (obsessive-painful).

In the first case, pedantry is businesslike, rational and completely conscious. It manifests itself in cases where care and precision are required. A moderate pedant is more likely not a quality, but a behavioral strategy for achieving results in a specific area.

A morbid preoccupation with details, a manic “disassembly of matter into atoms” is called anancastic disorder. In his own words, this is an extreme in which the pedant becomes nervous, twitchy, and constantly replays past experiences and obsessive thoughts in his head.

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).

Reasons for the development of pedantry

Psychologists say that one of the reasons for the appearance of such a quality as pedantry is overprotection and an authoritarian type of family upbringing.

Strict and demanding parents, wittingly or unwittingly, deprive their child of initiative and independence. In the future, such a person will continue to independently limit himself to boundaries and conventions.

Another trigger that triggers the development of pedantry, experts call negative experiences experienced in childhood, when the child did not feel safe. In the future, he will try in every possible way to ensure stability and stability for himself through diligent control.

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.

Good or bad?

Don't call perfectionism a disease. It is a disorder that has both pros and cons. Let's take a closer look at them.

First, let's outline the advantages.

Perfectionists cannot be lazy by definition. They are hardworking, take themselves and their actions seriously, and are able to find their mistakes where others deliberately do not want to see them. Increased ability to be demanding of yourself.
It is important for perfectionists to constantly learn and improve their skills, they strive to develop and improve, personal growth is important to them, and in their business they are able to bring their skills to the level of real mastery.

But there are also disadvantages.

Demandingness often reaches pathological proportions, and criticality is not always justified and proportionate to the degree of error made. Self-esteem is reduced, and this prevents a person from perceiving himself, others and his place in the world adequately and objectively.
Criticism is perceived painfully, causing suffering and anxiety. In this regard, the level of irritability is always increased, and tediousness and obsessive states may appear.
But the main disadvantage, perhaps, lies in the inability to set normal, achievable goals. By contemplating distant and unattainable horizons of events, perfectionists do not pay attention to what actually needs to be given attention at the moment, and therefore their goals often fail miserably.

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.

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.

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.

Difference between concepts

Many people often ask about the connection between perfectionism and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which includes pedantry. This dilemma is solved by experts in the field of psychology - psychologists and psychiatrists - and call both of the latter phenomena mental disorders and connect them through the similarity of symptoms.

Some signs of these deviations may also be characteristic of people who do not suffer from mental disorders. Finding yourself experiencing these symptoms can be alarming. If you are concerned that you may have a mental health problem, please consult with your GP or qualified psychiatrist.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental disorder characterized by recurring unwanted thoughts or images (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions). An example would be an obsession of this kind - repetitive thoughts and worries about germs, and associated compulsions would be frequent hand washing and cleaning.

Characteristics of OCD:

obsessions create anxiety and an urgent need to perform obsessive actions;
OCD sufferers feel that they must repeatedly perform compulsive behaviors or something bad will happen; they may temporarily relieve anxiety, but not for long;
obsessive desire for symmetry and accuracy of things; obsessive storage organization, the purpose of which is not so much to establish order, but rather to repeat an action done in an attempt to reduce the impact of unpleasant thoughts.

OCD can lead to suffering and take up all of a person’s free time, making it difficult to live a full and productive life. Sometimes we all worry that we've left the door open and need to check everything again. OCD is a more extreme condition. Some people with this disorder may have intrusive thoughts that someone will break into their home, so they will check the lock five or more times before they can leave the house. To meet criteria for the disorder, obsessions and compulsions must interfere with life, occupy at least an hour each day, and be uncontrollable.

Definition of perfectionism

The term perfectionism covers a wide range of characteristics. It is not a diagnosable mental disorder. It is used loosely and is defined without any real clinical criteria. People with perfectionistic personality traits have very high standards for themselves and others. They are purposeful people. These are workaholics with high demands.

Perfectionists crave order and predictability. They want everything to be “right”, otherwise they will feel restless, often very tense and anxious.

The characteristics of perfectionism are presented below.

Perfectionists may obsess over details, spend time perfecting, and practice and redo work in a compulsive manner.
A perfectionist may revise and rewrite a letter to his boss several times before sending it.
He can do laundry and cleaning for a long time, wash the dishes, while the rest of the family watches a movie.
He may often work late into the night, reworking details of a business proposal, for fear of making a mistake and looking like a fool in front of his colleagues.
People with perfectionistic traits may also demand a lot and criticize others. They expect perfection from themselves and from those around them. Those close to them often feel like they can't do anything about it.

Perfectionism is driven by concerns about the dissatisfaction of others, fear of rejection and criticism, which leads to feelings of imperfection and dissatisfaction. The sufferer differs from the pedant in that he seeks confirmation of his excellence by achieving goals and receiving rewards.

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.

Perfectionism

A perfectionist is a person who wants to be perfect and the best in everything. He reacts violently and negatively to criticism. Any bad statement addressed to him affects his mood. Attacks of aggression and loss of strength are possible.

Characteristics of a person with perfectionism syndrome:

is usually depressed;
does not know how to enjoy life;
poorly adapts to external changes;
picky about his appearance;
has problems building relationships with friends, family and colleagues;
always dissatisfied with himself;
subject to self-criticism, etc.

He doesn't know how to rest. He is used to constantly working to become even better, often sets unattainable goals for himself, is unable to adequately assess his skills and strengths, and usually suffers from blues, despondency, and stress.

Perfectionists place value on content. The results of their activities are important to them. They may be late for work or fail to submit assignments on time. They are afraid of making mistakes, being criticized, or being disapproved.