(Don't you hate it when a word is on the tip of your tongue and you can't retrieve it?) What adjective describes a person who is always policing others; zealously judgmental? Maybe I'm looking for a noun. Is there a psychological personality type that fits this description?
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a 'big brother'?– JMPCommented Apr 28, 2017 at 5:21
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3 Answers
Pharisaical is good term. It means marked by hypocritical censorious self-righteousness according to https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/. For those who are familiar with the New Testament, they will understand well how this attitude was exemplified in the Pharisees of Jesus' day and how Jesus reproved them for it.
answered Apr 27, 2017 at 18:01
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1Good eye, Xanne, but hypocritical, as in being a hypocrite, is the word in Merriam-Webster's definition of Pharisaical. I was looking for hyper-critical, as in that person who's always ready to catch people "doing wrong", and I believe Pharisaical fits that description, as well. Commented Apr 28, 2017 at 17:38
It looks like the word you're seeking might be officious.
assertive of authority in an annoyingly domineering way, especially with regard to petty or trivial matters.
2: volunteering one's services where they are neither asked nor needed : meddlesome. Officious people who are always ready to offer unasked advice
answered Apr 27, 2017 at 18:02
I remembered the word I was trying so hard to retrieve, and I actually didn't articulate its definition accurately, but this is what I was seeking: hypervigilant.
It turns out that hypervigilant isn't the same as Pharisaical, which comes closest to what I was trying to convey.
