Can’t stop correcting all your friends grammar errors? Well, friend, welcome. You and I are very much alike.
If you cannot resist the the urge to let someone know they JUST USED A DOUBLE NEGATIVE FOR GODS SAKE, there is actually a reason.
OK, sorry. Back to the point…
The Urge To Correct Grammar is Actually A Form of OCD
Apparently, this is a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) called Grammatical Pedantry Syndrome. In fact, there is actually a gene that you were born with causing this.
“Now there’s evidence that a variant of that gene, FOXP2.1, may actually cause us to obsessively correct other people’s grammar, or should that be, to correct their grammar obsessively?“
(If you have some time to do some really in depth scientific reading, you can see all the data right here.)
Either way, you should stop correcting people.
I’ve learned to reel in this particularly annoying habit because it’s, well, annoying. Nobody wants to be corrected.
All you have to do, is ask yourself: Does this person actually want grammar advice? If the answer is no, then you’ll need to let it go.
Tell me, do you think you have Grammatical Pedantry Syndrome?
Liz is a just a mom trying to keep it real about how little she sleeps, how often she gets puked on and how much she loves them. You can find her here every day writing about real-mom moments.
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