Finickiness

Finickiness is the quality of being excessively particular, fastidious, or demanding in one's tastes or preferences. It manifests as an aversion to imperfection or deviation from perceived standards, especially in matters of food, dress, cleanliness, or any aesthetic or practical domain. This heightened sensitivity often stems from a desire for perfection, a strong sense of personal standards, or anxiety around potential unpleasantries. The finicky individual meticulously scrutinizes details that others might overlook, leading to a selective and sometimes inflexible approach. While a degree of care and discernment is admirable, excessive Finickiness can be a social hindrance, leading to delays, dissatisfaction, and a sense of elitism.

Finickiness meaning with examples

• Her Finickiness about the arrangement of the fruit on the dessert tray annoyed the catering staff. She insisted each strawberry be perfectly aligned and of identical size, creating delays that threatened the event schedule. Despite everyone's best efforts to accommodate her Finickiness, she remained unhappy, ultimately souring the event.
• The author's Finickiness concerning the editing process delayed the release of his new novel. He meticulously reviewed every sentence, grammar usage and punctuation mark, constantly revising and rewriting, to ensure that it met his unattainable high standards of literary perfection. This excessive Finickiness frustrated the editor.
• His Finickiness regarding his coffee was legendary; he would only accept a specific bean, ground at a certain coarseness, brewed at a precise temperature, and served in a particular ceramic mug. His friends often joked that getting him his morning coffee was like performing a delicate scientific experiment.
• The film director's Finickiness with the lighting and sound effects during post-production was well-known. He spent weeks tweaking the most minute details of his audio tracks and adjusting the visuals to enhance the atmosphere of his film and to project his exact vision of the scene, as if an extra-perfectionist, or demanding quality.