Derived from the Latin word scrupulus (a sharp stone), implying a stabbing pain on the conscience.

Traditionally a Catholic concept, scrupulosity is the obsessive concern with one's own sins frequently focusing on acts or thoughts not actually considered sins within one's religious tradition.

This is distinct from the normal religious impulse towards goodness in several ways, most notably that the over-scrupulous person will not acknowledge the verdict of otherwise accepted religious authorities that they are making much ado about nothing.

In modern times, scrupulosity is often considered to be a religious variation of Obsessive-compulsive disorder.

External Links

• Scruple in the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Scrupulosity: Religious Obesessions and Compulsions