Concept in Definition ABC

Certain people have delusions of grandeur and this leads to all sorts of exaggerated behaviors. They believe they are superior to others, they lie about their own reality and manipulate those around them. This type of behavior is a disorder of the personality known as megalomania. The term comes from the Greek, specifically from the prefix mega, which means big and mania, which is equivalent to madness.

Megalomania is, in short, a psychopathological condition characterized by delusional fantasies and a disproportionate self-esteem

From a strictly psychiatric point of view, delusions of grandeur are a symptom of poor self-esteem or the result of an affective lack in the childhood.

The megalomaniac wants to become a different individual than he really is. Those who have this disorder are not aware of the image they transmit to others. Their beliefs and convictions are ridiculous and in some cases unhealthy. These types of delusions can affect both men and women.

A profile of the megalomaniac

In general it is an individual with a changeable, extravagant and, at the same time, indecisive character. You can be aggressive at times, especially if someone contradicts you. The person with this disorder uses manipulative strategies to impose himself on others. He feels especially gifted and even with some kind of superhuman power. Somehow they see themselves as the "savior of the world." Their social relationships are normally difficult, but at the same time their charisma makes others feel attraction for him. He is someone who does not settle for an ordinary life but seeks power, wealth and social prestige.

Megalomania and the cult of personality

Some characters in recent history have been megalomaniacs, such as Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin or Mao. According to some psychobiographical scholars, characters such as Alexander the Great, Caligula or Napoleon are clear examples of this pathology.

The megalomaniac personality of all of them has been associated with another phenomenon: the cult of personality. In this sense, it could be affirmed that the majority of totalitarian movements in history have been led by a megalomaniac individual.

If megalomania is a pathology that affects certain people, the cult of personality is a "disease"suffered by the whole of society. The relationship between the two trends is perverse. The Leader Megalomaniac needs a herd of followers and with propaganda and social manipulation techniques it is possible to create a "savior of the fatherland." At the same time, large sectors of the population they have genuine reverence for the individual who guides them. The cult of personality is, in short, the consequence logic of megalomania.

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