There is a question about pettiness Is it possible to quantify 'pettiness' in a personality? Which gives a good example of how some people can focus on seemingly unimportant issues, when there are more obvious issues that would seem to warrant attention.What would cause a person to focus, even fixate on small, petty things; for example: a co-worker's tardiness, when the employer's company is facing a takeover and jobs may be lost.  the makeup one of the school Mum's was wearing, when there's been a robbery at the schoolI am wondering what the possible causes of pettiness may be?  
What are the possible causes of pettiness?
social psychology;developmental psychology