Giordano Bruno

We see that pedantry has never been held in such esteem for the government of the world as in our times, and it offers as many paths of the true intelligible species and objects of infallible and sole truth as there are individual pedants.

Italian Philosopher

Albert J. Nock

Perhaps the prevalence of pedantry may be largely accounted for by the common error of thinking that, because useful knowledge should be remembered, any kind of knowledge that is at all worth learning should be remembered too.

American Philosopher

Paul F. Tompkins

I love clothing, and I love fashion, but I think that there is too much pedantry in fashion, and saying, 'You have to wear all of these things together; you can't button this button.' You know, all of that kind of stuff.

American Comedian

Learning has always been made much of, but forgetting has always been deprecated; therefore pedantry has pretty well established itself throughout the modern world at the expense of culture.

Diligent as one must be in learning, one must be as diligent in forgetting; otherwise the process is one of pedantry, not culture.

George Bernard Shaw

A fool's brain digests philosophy into folly, science into superstition, and art into pedantry. Hence University education.

Irish Playwright

Mary H.K. Choi

Consider this: alms aside, Wikipedia is fueled by competitive pedantry and emo-ness. How great is that?

South Korean Author

Carroll O'Connor

American Actor

Typically carries a negative connotation, implying an unnecessary focus on trivial details.

Often Negative

Use when someone goes beyond necessary precision and correctness into over-detailed fussiness.

Precision Overkill

Can be positive when attention to detail is critical, like legal documents or historical research.

Not Always Bad

Calling out minor errors can be seen as socially awkward or impolite in many contexts.

Socially Awkward

Sharing expertise is valued, but slipping into pedantry by focusing on trivial mistakes is often frowned upon.

Expert vs Pedant

Avoid pedantry in casual conversation; it's best suited for academic or professional discussions.

Pedantry