delusion

Persistent mistaken belief

A delusion is a false belief held despite clear evidence against it.

In psychiatry, delusions are symptoms of mental illness—believing you're being watched by the government, or that you have special powers.

More loosely, delusion describes any self-deception: He's under the delusion that she still loves him.

Delusions of grandeur are inflated beliefs about one's own importance.

mental-health

psychosis

Severe reality detachment

hallucinationPerception without external cause
schizophreniaPsychotic disorder with delusions
paranoiaIrrational persecution fears

mania · delirium · disorder · persecutory · referential · somatic · antipsychotic · psychiatric · paranoid · disorganized

false-belief

misconception

Erroneous belief or understanding

misbeliefFalse notion held true
fallacyError in reasoning
errorFault in communication

misunderstanding · misperception · misjudgment · self-deception · wishful thinking · fantasy · myth · superstition · dogma · ideology

deception

hoax

Deliberate deception for effect

shamFraudulent imitation
fraudIntentional criminal trickery
pretenseDeceptive outward show

fabrication · lie · deceit · trickery · charade · imposture · disinformation · misinformation · propaganda · gaslighting

denial

self-denial

Restraining one's own desires

willful ignorancePurposely remaining uninformed
repressionUnconscious blocking of thoughts
rationalizationInventing acceptable motives afterward

disavowal · refusal · rejection · blind spot · cognitive dissonance · avoidance · obstinacy · defensiveness · excuse-making · minimization

grandeur

megalomania

Obsession with one's importance

narcissismExcessive admiration of oneself
hubrisRuinous excessive confidence
overestimationJudging something too high

superiority complex · messiah complex · omnipotence · self-importance · grandiosity · entitlement · Napoleon complex · savior complex

Categories

perception errorsmisperception, visual distortion, blind spot, hallucination, afterimage
mental crisesnervous breakdown, mental breakdown, mental collapse, mental break, emotional collapse
human follyhubris, pride, vanity, greed, arrogance
mental statesknowledge, conscious, mood, anxious, memory
Misconceptionsmisconception, myth, fallacy, false belief, mistaken belief
Reality vs Illusionmirage, hallucination, dream, fantasy, truth

Opposites

correspondence to reality

delusionreality

What actually exists

truth · fact · actuality · verity · what is

epistemic clarity

delusionlucidity

Clearness of mind

clarity · clear-sightedness · insight · sanity · disillusionment

psychological health

delusionsanity

Mental soundness

mental health · groundedness · stability · sound mind · mental clarity

Phrases

delusions of grandeurFalse belief in superiority
delusional disorderPsychiatric condition featuring persistent false beliefs
mass delusionWidespread false belief shared socially
shared delusionBelief transmitted between minds
collective delusionWidespread acceptance of falsehood
grandiose delusionsUnfounded beliefs of superiority

Family

delusions, delusive, delusional, self-delusion, delusiveness, delusionally, delusions of grandeur

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