idealisations
Rose-tinted mental portraits
Idealisations is the British spelling of idealizations—instances of regarding or representing something as better than it actually is.
The term appears in philosophy and science to describe simplified models that ignore complicating factors: Frictionless planes are idealisations that help students grasp basic physics.
In psychology, idealisations are mental processes that exaggerate someone's positive qualities while overlooking flaws.
Non-concrete conceptual ideas
- perfectionsStates of being faultless
- universalsProperties holding across all
- archetypesUniversal symbolic patterns
- essencesFundamental natures or extracts
concepts · transcendence · metaphysics · absolutes · ideals · conceptualisations · rationalism · a priori
Imagined scenarios, often pleasurable
- projectionsEstimates extending forward
- wishful thinkingBelief shaped by desire
- rose-tintedPinkish or overly optimistic
- glorificationsActs of praising extravagantly
pedestals · hero worship · infatuation · delusions · overestimations · distortions · defence mechanisms · cognitive biases
Imagined perfect societies
- visionsImagined or prophetic sights
- manifestosPublic declarations of principles
- doctrinesCodified belief systems
- propagandaBiased information for influence
nationalism · patriotism · mythologising · founding myths · golden age · nostalgia · revolutionary ideals · national identity
Artistic simplification of forms
- beautificationAct of enhancing appearance
- romanticisationPortraying as more appealing
- aestheticisationMaking something artistic
- embellishmentDecorative addition or exaggeration
refinement · enhancement · perfecting · flattering · airbrushing · retouching · polishing · elevating
Scaled representations or fashion workers
- approximationsNear but inexact values
- simplificationsActs of reducing complexity
- assumptionsUnproven things taken as true
- abstractionsNon-concrete conceptual ideas
frictionless · thought experiments · boundary conditions · mathematical models · simulations · hypotheticals · parameters · variables
abstractions
Non-concrete conceptual ideas
- perfectionsStates of being faultless
- universalsProperties holding across all
- archetypesUniversal symbolic patterns
essences · concepts · transcendence · metaphysics · absolutes · ideals · conceptualisations · rationalism · a priori · immaterialism
fantasies
Imagined scenarios, often pleasurable
- projectionsEstimates extending forward
- wishful thinkingBelief shaped by desire
- rose-tintedPinkish or overly optimistic
glorifications · pedestals · hero worship · infatuation · delusions · overestimations · distortions · defence mechanisms · cognitive biases · illusions
utopias
Imagined perfect societies
- visionsImagined or prophetic sights
- manifestosPublic declarations of principles
- doctrinesCodified belief systems
propaganda · nationalism · patriotism · mythologising · founding myths · golden age · nostalgia · revolutionary ideals · national identity · collective memory
stylisation
Artistic simplification of forms
- beautificationAct of enhancing appearance
- romanticisationPortraying as more appealing
- aestheticisationMaking something artistic
embellishment · refinement · enhancement · perfecting · flattering · airbrushing · retouching · polishing · elevating · ennobling
models
Scaled representations or fashion workers
- approximationsNear but inexact values
- simplificationsActs of reducing complexity
- assumptionsUnproven things taken as true
abstractions · frictionless · thought experiments · boundary conditions · mathematical models · simulations · hypotheticals · parameters · variables · constraints
idealisationsrealities
Things that exist
actualities · hard truths · brutal honesty · truths · facts
idealisationsdemonisations
Acts of portraying wickedly
vilifications · disparagement · denigrations · devaluations · condemnations