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I'm looking for a word that refers to excessive or extreme obsession with fairness, discipline, chivalry, and respect. Note that this is the concept, rather than a person who embraces it.

An equivalent for honesty would be candor, for safety: cowardice.

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  • I like "quixotic"
    – J. Taylor
    Commented Feb 19, 2018 at 22:18
  • @J.Taylor I was just researching that as an answer. Like minds!
    – lbf
    Commented Feb 19, 2018 at 22:23
  • @ lbf I think it might be worth an answer from you, I will pass the honor
    – J. Taylor
    Commented Feb 19, 2018 at 22:31
  • "punctilious" would work, but only in a context where fairness, discipline, chivalry, and respect are considered correct behaviour.
    – user252684
    Commented Feb 20, 2018 at 0:29
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    @J.Taylor - I don't think "quixotic" is the same thing.
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Feb 20, 2018 at 20:56

4 Answers 4

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Quixotic

quix·ot·ic

kwikˈsädik/

adjective: quixotic ( from Merriam-Webster)

foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals; especially : marked by rash lofty romantic ideas or extravagantly chivalrous action. quixotic

And here's a short piece on Don Quixote and his mistaking windmills for giants. Don Quixote

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  • Just so you know, it is not enough to just link to the "Google Dictionary" entry. Please cite Google's source. See this meta post for details.
    – Laurel ♦
    Commented Feb 19, 2018 at 22:59
  • This is an answer that fits, thank you. I assume the concept would be called 'Quixoticism'?
    – Piomicron
    Commented Feb 20, 2018 at 19:03
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    This covers the part about an extreme of chivalry, but 'quixotic' means so much more (especially the first part about extreme and foolish pursuits. That is, for a samurai lord who is excessively loyal to the shogun, it would be strange and misleading to call them 'quixotic' (because you'd also think that person foolish)
    – Mitch
    Commented Feb 20, 2018 at 21:21
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Honour as a concept can have a few different opposites. It also has slightly differing definitions depending on context, and you blew through a few of them in your post. I think it's difficult to label all of honour's opposites with one word/concept. One interpretation of honour in excess, from the perspective of reputation and meriting respect due to the content of their character, could be Vanity.

1 : inflated pride in oneself or one's appearance : conceit

2 : something that is vain, empty, or valueless

Vain: having or showing undue or excessive pride in one's appearance or achievements

So if vain is what describes a person who overly pursues a good reputation, vanity is the base concept of that description. One can of course achieve a good reputation by being chivalrous, fair, respectful, etc... I think that this does not fit if one is talking about honour in terms of integrity, as the opposite of that is not vanity but dishonesty. Therefore a person with integrity in excess would be rude or discourteous.

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an obsessive sense of justice

I believe this phrase was coined by Susan Conners, author of The Tourette Syndrome and OCD Checklist.

I'm sorry it's more than one word.

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  • I'm afraid this isn't really what I'm looking for.
    – Piomicron
    Commented Feb 20, 2018 at 19:04
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I think "authoritarian" might be closer to what you are looking for; someone who believes in following the rule structure above all else.

But it's hard to say, since your terms are kind of ambiguous. For instance, a poor old women trips in the street and bumps into a rich lord. Does the obsession with "respect" means that the woman would be berated for disturbing her social better, or that the woman is comforted and aided, out of compassion for her age and frailty?

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