• You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community, you will have access to additional post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), view blogs, respond to polls, upload content, and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free, so please join our community today! Just click here to register. You should turn your Ad Blocker off for this site or certain features may not work properly. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us by clicking here.

What type is the most pedantic?

Kiddo

Furry Critter with Claws
Joined
Sep 25, 2007
Messages
2,790
MBTI Type
OMNi
By pedantic I mean, most likely to obsess about the formal things like grammar and spelling, shamelessly show off their knowledge, and challenge arguments based on trivial details.

To be honest, I just learned the meaning of "pedantic" a little over a week ago. :blush:

I've already noticed this behavior to be infamous in INTPs, ISTPs, and some INFPs. However, I acknowledge that I'm very ostentatious when it comes to things like statistics and philosophy. So which type is generally the most pedantic and why?
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Athenian200

Protocol Droid
Joined
Jul 1, 2007
Messages
8,828
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
4w5
By pedantic I mean, most likely to obsess about the formal things like grammar and spelling, shamelessly show off their knowledge, and challenge arguments based on trivial details.

To be honest, I just learned the meaning of "pedantric" a little over a week ago. :blush:

I've already noticed this behavior to be infamous in INTPs, ISTPs, and some INFPs. However, I acknowledge that I'm very ostentatious when it comes to things like statistics and philosophy. So which type is generally the most pedantic and why?

I believe that IxTP's only think they're good with grammar and such based on their own rules and understandings of it. I actually see them making quite a few spelling and punctuational errors. Perceiving types are generally right-brained, and right-brained people are usually poorer spellers than left-brained people, who tend to be more precise and structured. I think IxxJ's are actually better. (But I may be biased.) :) It's also likely that when an IxTP claims to understand a particular aspect of grammar, they use a very complex, logical-sounding, convoluted argument that everyone simply accepts because it intimidates them, and don't bother to examine it very closely.

I'm guess IxTJ's would show such a thing more often, but IxFJ's would still notice such things, and point them out if they're in the right mood. I think ISTJ might actually be the best, presuming they've been exposed to proper spelling and such from a young age.
 

Economica

Dhampyr
Joined
Apr 23, 2007
Messages
2,054
MBTI Type
INTJ
By pedantic I mean, most likely to obsess about the formal things like grammar and spelling, shamelessly show off their knowledge, and challenge arguments based on trivial details.

An immature INTJ.
 

ygolo

My termites win
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
5,981
By pedantic I mean, most likely to obsess about the formal things like grammar and spelling, shamelessly show off their knowledge, and challenge arguments based on trivial details.

To be honest, I just learned the meaning of "pedantric" a little over a week ago. :blush:

I've already noticed this behavior to be infamous in INTPs, ISTPs, and some INFPs. However, I acknowledge that I'm very ostentatious when it comes to things like statistics and philosophy. So which type is generally the most pedantic and why?

I would say INTPs meet the way you define pedantic (mainly the ones like me). I have been accused of "showing-off" my knowledge by friends from time to time. But it feels truly suffocating to spend a lot of time and effort to understand something, and not be able to share that understanding with someone else.

What one person considers trivial, is essential to another. I really hate it when people dismiss one of my points as being "just semantics." For me, it means they are not listening. I consider it a form of purposefully ignoring someone, and actually consider it quite mean.

Still, I think grammar and spelling are arbitrary things and don't care to spend all that much time getting better at them. I will tend to correct mistakes when I see them, however.
 

Athenian200

Protocol Droid
Joined
Jul 1, 2007
Messages
8,828
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
4w5
What one person considers trivial, is essential to another. I really hate it when people dismiss one of my points as being "just semantics." For me, it means they are not listening. I consider it a form of purposefully ignoring someone, and actually consider it quite mean.

Yes, I see what you mean. Someone on a message board called the United States a democracy. So I told them it was a Constitutional Republic, and they just ignored it and wrote it off as "splitting hairs." :doh:

People often want to overlook fine distinctions, and sort of "gloss over" things. I don't understand that at all.

I wonder if being pedantic/meticulous might be a trait separate from type?
 

wildcat

New member
Joined
Jun 8, 2007
Messages
3,622
MBTI Type
INTP
I would say INTPs meet the way you define pedantic (mainly the ones like me). I have been accused of "showing-off" my knowledge by friends from time to time. But it feels truly suffocating to spend a lot of time and effort to understand something, and not be able to share that understanding with someone else.

What one person considers trivial, is essential to another. I really hate it when people dismiss one of my points as being "just semantics." For me, it means they are not listening. I consider it a form of purposefully ignoring someone, and actually consider it quite mean.

Still, I think grammar and spelling are arbitrary things and don't care to spend all that much time getting better at them. I will tend to correct mistakes when I see them, however.
Objection.

Semantics is the first rule in understanding.

The exact definition of what is what.
 

Totenkindly

@.~*virinaĉo*~.@
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
50,145
MBTI Type
BELF
Enneagram
594
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
By pedantic I mean, most likely to obsess about the formal things like grammar and spelling...

Athenian200. (But that's more than four letters!)

I think spelling and grammar are important. (How on earth can you properly convey the nuance of your ideas if you have never mastered the communication medium you're trying to speak through?)

Then again, I've been twisted by working 17 years in one publishing industry after another. :dry:
 

Randomnity

insert random title here
Joined
May 8, 2007
Messages
9,485
MBTI Type
ISTP
Enneagram
6w5
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
I am pretty pedantic. To illustrate my point, I will comment on this detail.
I believe that IxTP's only think they're good with grammar and such based on their own rules and understandings of it. I actually see them making quite a few spelling and punctuational errors. Perceiving types are generally right-brained, and right-brained people are usually poorer spellers than left-brained people, who tend to be more precise and structured.
I don't think I'm good at grammar, I know I'm good at grammar. I haven't yet met someone (in RL) my age who has superior spelling/grammar skills, and that includes INTJs, INFJs, and an ESFJ. I'm an excellent, anal proof-reader, and I've never lost marks on anything for grammar. However, online I tend to speak in a more informal fashion so as not to appear overly stuffy. It is also easier to convey tone by ignoring select grammar rules. I think that this--along with simple carelessness--would be the cause for most spelling and punctuation mistakes observed online, rather than a lack of knowledge.

It's my opinion that the extent to which you read would have a larger impact than P/J. My INTJ best friend has terrible grammar, and he almost never reads for pleasure, whereas I've read...definitely hundreds, maybe thousands of books in my life.

EDIT: to clarify, I don't care about the grammar used by other people, unless it renders text difficult to read. And I would never consciously try to improve my grammar skills, unless they were so bad that they were causing problems.
 

Kiddo

Furry Critter with Claws
Joined
Sep 25, 2007
Messages
2,790
MBTI Type
OMNi
Yes, I see what you mean. Someone on a message board called the United States a democracy. So I told them it was a Constitutional Republic, and they just ignored it and wrote it off as "splitting hairs." :doh:

:blush:

I actually think that might be a side effect of when people in a pedantic mood run into each other. I've noticed it a lot on INTP Central, where one person makes a big deal out of a minute detail by trying to correct it. Then someone else comes by and corrects the correcter even further. Then the original correcter returns with trying to gloss over the whole thing. I imagine that once a pedantic person is corrected, it's their natural instinct to try to save face by becoming counter-pedantic.

I wonder if being pedantic/meticulous might be a trait separate from type?

I hadn't thought of being pedantic as being meticulous. I've seen it as more of an attention grabbing behavior or ostentatious. Since it seems to be a "show offy" behavior, it would probably be associated with "image awareness". So if not associated with type, could it be one of those enneagram 4 things?
 

Xander

Lex Parsimoniae
Joined
Apr 24, 2007
Messages
4,463
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
9w8
Objection.

Semantics is the first rule in understanding.

The exact definition of what is what.
Who's what is what? :D

Had to point out that one.

I'm a pedant but not with such formalities as is mentioned here. Pedantry I'd think could be part of any profile. Surely the personality type merely defines some of what style the pedantry is in?
 

Kiddo

Furry Critter with Claws
Joined
Sep 25, 2007
Messages
2,790
MBTI Type
OMNi
Pedantry I'd think could be part of any profile. Surely the personality type merely defines some of what style the pedantry is in?

Well said and I agree. Now I might have to change my thread title to "What style of pedantry does each type use?"
 

Xander

Lex Parsimoniae
Joined
Apr 24, 2007
Messages
4,463
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
9w8
Well said and I agree. Now I might have to change my thread title to "What style of pedantry does each type use?"
Now that's a big subject! Are you going purely on cognitive style or behavioural style too? :smile: (reflex!!)
 

Kiddo

Furry Critter with Claws
Joined
Sep 25, 2007
Messages
2,790
MBTI Type
OMNi
Now that's a big subject! Are you going purely on cognitive style or behavioural style too? :smile: (reflex!!)

Why not both? It would be nice to know not only what aspects people are pedantic about, but also what tactics they tend to use.
 

ygolo

My termites win
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
5,981
Yes, I see what you mean. Someone on a message board called the United States a democracy. So I told them it was a Constitutional Republic, and they just ignored it and wrote it off as "splitting hairs." :doh:

Well, the way I think of it. All republics are democracies (representative democracies, instead of a pure one, but still). All Constitutional Republics are republics, and therefore democracies. So the US is a democracy, specifically, a constitutional democracy.

People often want to overlook fine distinctions, and sort of "gloss over" things. I don't understand that at all.

I wonder if being pedantic/meticulous might be a trait separate from type?

Sometimes it is a good idea to gloss over things, at other times, it is detrimental. So, we have people gloss over different things, and often see each other as pedantic.

Objection.

Semantics is the first rule in understanding.

The exact definition of what is what.

I agree. Semantics are needed for understanding. I don't like the word just that they used.

Athenian200. (But that's more than four letters!)

I think spelling and grammar are important. (How on earth can you properly convey the nuance of your ideas if you have never mastered the communication medium you're trying to speak through?)

Then again, I've been twisted by working 17 years in one publishing industry after another. :dry:

Spelling, I think is more important than grammar, but I've rarely seen poor spelling lead to as much confusion as poorly defining the concepts being talked about, making logical contradictions, or assuming too much.

IMO, grammar is little more than Victorian normalcy used to suppress individual style.

I usually use passive voice. It is my voice. I will continue to use it.

However, online I tend to speak in a more informal fashion so as not to appear overly stuffy. It is also easier to convey tone by ignoring select grammar rules. I think that this--along with simple carelessness--would be the cause for most spelling and punctuation mistakes observed online, rather than a lack of knowledge.

It's my opinion that the extent to which you read would have a larger impact than P/J. My INTJ best friend has terrible grammar, and he almost never reads for pleasure, whereas I've read...definitely hundreds, maybe thousands of books in my life.

Well said.

I hadn't thought of being pedantic as being meticulous. I've seen it as more of an attention grabbing behavior or ostentatious. Since it seems to be a "show offy" behavior, it would probably be associated with "image awareness". So if not associated with type, could it be one of those enneagram 4 things?

In common usage, the show-offy part of being pedantic is lost because people who are called pedantic are rarely trying to show off. I think, pedantry is concept that says more about the user of the concept, than the person it is used to describe.
 

cascadeco

New member
Joined
Oct 7, 2007
Messages
9,083
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
9w1
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
Spelling, I think is more important than grammar, but I've rarely seen poor spelling lead to as much confusion as poorly defining the concepts being talked about, making logical contradictions, or assuming too much.

Ah...this is so true. Related to my job - It is the reason for endless bickering in the writing of requirements, the requirements being so general and bland that they are of very little use, of the tech coders then not knowing what the heck they're supposed to code for, or interpreting the word 'increase' quite differently from what business would interpret it as, us then receiving 'bad code', and then having to write ptr's to get it fixed, or change requests because initial requirements sucked ......for those of you who are into semantic pedantics :D ....go into requirements writing and become a business analyst. Save the programmers and testers from the inevitable frustration and confusion. :) I can't tell you how common it is for requirements to kind of conflict with/contradict each other.

Although -- maybe I should take all of this back. The assumptions, lack of detail, and poor definition or words leads to job security. :)
 

Ivy

Strongly Ambivalent
Joined
Apr 18, 2007
Messages
23,989
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
6
I'm going to go with "whatever type I am," since I just corrected pedantric in your thread title and OP. :D
 

Kiddo

Furry Critter with Claws
Joined
Sep 25, 2007
Messages
2,790
MBTI Type
OMNi
In common usage, the show-offy part of being pedantic is lost because people who are called pedantic are rarely trying to show off. I think, pedantry is concept that says more about the user of the concept, than the person it is used to describe.

Is this "Make Ruthless Insinuations at Kiddo Day" or something?

I'm going to go with "whatever type I am," since I just corrected pedantric in your thread title and OP. :D

:17425:

This forum will be the death of me. The worst part is that without even realizing it I switched over to "pedantic".
 

Ivy

Strongly Ambivalent
Joined
Apr 18, 2007
Messages
23,989
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
6
:17425:

This forum will be the death of me. The worst part is that without even realizing it I switched over to "pedantic".

Heh. Don't sweat it! I wouldn't have done it if the opportunity for sweet, sweet irony hadn't presented itself so perfectly. ;)
 
Top