Signs That You Have Delusions Of Grandeur
By Molly
2 years ago
1. Belief that they are a famous or powerful person
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Most people have at some point in their lives wanted to be famous, but have you ever had a feeling that you already are? It's a very common delusion of grandeur, because people spend so much time looking and worshipping celebrities, that they start to imagine themselves living that life.2. Belief that they have special powers or abilities
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The kind of people who have the feeling and belief in supernatural abilities, such as telekinesis or mind reading, or a belief in extraordinary physical or intellectual abilities are high on the delusion scale - after all, who doesn’t want to be able to read minds?!3. Belief that they have a special connection with a divine power or spirit
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This delusion is often seen with religious or spiritual mindsets and is all too familiar with people misinterpreting a certain belief. Because of this feeling of connection with something greater, the person(s) with this delusion is more inclined to think they are better than everyone else.4. Belief that they are a genius or have exceptional intelligence
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Ever thought that you are smarter than someone? What about smarter than everyone? If so, it looks like you're high on the scale. This delusion of grandeur often falls with people who have bipolar, and they often second guess everyone...and themselves.5. Belief that they have accomplished extraordinary things that are not actually true
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We all do good things from time to time, even great things, but once you start to think you accomplish the impossible, you're on the wrong side of the delusion line I’m afraid. Maybe this is due to the hyper-connected world and wanting to stick out in a crowd?6. Exaggerated sense of self-confidence and self-importance
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Here we have something that is also known as narcissism. This is a personality trait characterised by a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy for others. We've all thought highly of ourselves from time to time, but when do we draw the line and realise what we are doing?7. Belief that they are above the law or exempt from rules and regulations
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There's always one, am I right? That one friend who skips over the rules and thinks there will be no backlash. Maybe the occasional rule break is fine, but those that do it too often, are heading straight into the bucket that says 'stay away, we're deluded'8. Belief that they are the centre of attention or that everyone is talking about them
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The centre of attention, the one who must always comment or have the last word - does anyone spring to mind?... Hopefully not yourself! It's great to have input, and your own opinion, but as soon as you want it to be all about you, you'll have been labelled very quickly.9. Belief that they are being targeted by a specific individual or group
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Conspiracy theorists love to go down into the rabbit holes, but sometimes it backfires. When a person starts to think that someone, or even a group is after them, not only are they most likely crazy, but it's generally a sign that they've grown to be too self-important10. Belief that they are the only one who can solve a particular problem or situation
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University project work, or even work meetings where the manager does a lot of speaking and no listening - maybe this could be everyone? I'm sure we've all thought at some point in our lives, if you want something doing, you're best of doing it yourself?11. Belief that they have access to secret or privileged information
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Don’t get me wrong, some people do actually have access to more than others - but sometimes that feeling is made up. When you realise someone is like that - want our advice? Turn around, look forward, and run away as quick as possible. It’s for the best!12. Belief that they are a messiah, prophet, or saviour
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It's great to follow religion, and to believe in a greater being - but what happens when you or a friend start to believe that you are the greater being? Unless you want to be known as deluded, you need to take a look in the mirror and snap out of it!13. Grandiose fantasies about their future or their impact on the world
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Some people think big, and some people think small - we need a mixture in the world. But all too often, people get carried away and think that their plans are the only plans that can save the world. Action is always better than words – don't be deluded!14. Belief that they are the only one who can save the world from a crisis or disaster
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Now if this person was part of The Avengers, or had powers like Superman, I wouldn't bat an eyelid. However, most of us are not part of groups like that or with those powers. So, next time you see someone who thinks they can save the world, ask them to leave it to the movies!15. Belief that they are invincible or immune to harm or danger
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Some people are luckier than others, and never break a bone. But when that person then thinks that nothing can stop them, they might start playing with life a little too much and taking too many risks...remember, safety always wins, and slow and steady is always good.16. Belief that they have a special destiny or purpose
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It's good to reflect on why you think we are here in the world - but when you start to think that you have a greater purpose than others, things can start to go south. This sign of delusion can make your friends and family struggle to connect with you!17. Belief that they are more talented or special than others
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This could be up for debate, because some people do have genuine talent when it comes to sports, that others just don't have. So, delusion is a gray area here - but the saying is true, hard work and no talent beats talent and no hard work. Maybe some delusion here is healthy.18. Exaggerated sense of entitlement and expectation of special treatment
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Demands, expectations and assumptions are all linked to a delusion of grandeur. It's good to have high hopes and want the best, but when those hopes start to fall on expectations and thinking you deserve better than others, you need to reflect! Think about those times when you have been in a queue and expected to be seen before everyone else.19. Belief that they are infallible or always right
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When someone believes they're infallible or always right, it's called dogmatism. They're closed-minded, unwilling to consider other viewpoints, and may become defensive or hostile when challenged - doesn’t sound like a nice person to be around.20. Belief that they are the only one who can understand or appreciate certain things
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This delusion is more like a sense of elitism. They'll often give off an air of feeling they are superior. They will try to exclude people who don't agree with them or have the same background. Most of the time, this leads them to being arrogant and then feeling isolated...a terrible spiral!21. Refusal to accept criticism or feedback
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People are often described as defensive when they cannot take criticism. They are their own worst enemies because it results in a lack of growth and damaged relationships. Because they feel attacked, they'll miss key opportunities for development, so make sure this isn't you!22. Belief that they have a unique understanding of the universe or reality
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Here is a new word for you - solipsism. This described the delusion of someone who believes they see the world differently. They actually believe that the world is the projection of their own mind, and their mind only. So, you or I, are just a figment of their imagination.23. Delusions about their physical appearance
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People often associated dysmorphic disorder with people who look negatively towards themselves - but it works both ways. When a person believes that they are exceptionally good looking, they'll obsess over tiny perceived flaws. This can sometimes lead to anxiety, depression, and social isolation.24. Belief that they are the only one who can make a significant contribution to a particular field or industry
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There actually is a thing called intellectual egotism. This delusion is often seen when a person overestimates their abilities and downplays the contributions of others. This generally leads to a lack of collaboration and innovation. Always acknowledge diverse perspectives!25. Struggling to empathise with others
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Do you struggle to put yourself in other people's shoes? Or maybe you know somebody who has a shockingly low amount of compassion or remorse where others are concerned. A lack of empathy can be an indicator of a self-obsessed and self-righteous person.26. Belief that they are above normal social conventions or etiquette
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This kind of behavior is usually clear when a person has a complete disregard for accepted norms of social behavior. For example, ignoring basic rules of politeness, being overly vulgar or interrupting others. They might wear overly revealing clothing for inappropriate occasions.27. Exaggerated sense of self-worth and self-esteem
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Do you know someone who is constantly bragging and boasting? Maybe this is you? Is this person usually arrogant and entitled? If the answer is yes, they're likely suffering from the delusion that they are better than everybody around them. They have an inflated sense of self! 28. Belief that they can achieve great things without putting in the necessary effort or work
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Are you that person who doesn't bother revising for that upcoming test, knowing you're going to come top of the class anyway? Some people may believe they're going to be a famous singer, when they have no singing talent and no work ethic to put themselves out there.29. Belief that they are the only one who truly understands a particular issue or problem
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Have you ever heard other people's perspective on an issue and internally scoffed at how wrong they were? You knew that nobody else could be intelligent enough to see the problem how you do, or truly understand it? If this sounds familiar, I have bad news for you. This can be a symptom of delusion.30. Impulsive behaviours
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If you know somebody who is constantly surprising you with their impulsive behaviors, you might want to keep an eye on them. This could be impulse buying, quitting a job with no prior thought or quickly moving in with a brand new partner. Sometimes, a person does this as they believe everything will fall into place no matter what they do.31. Signs that you could be a narcissist: you can be very condescending
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Delusions of grandeur are actually one of the symptoms of a narcissist - so are there any others you could have? Having a condescending nature is just a symptom of thinking you're bigger and better than everyone else - so you might make a habit of making everyone around you feel small.32. You don't feel bad about anything
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A key trait of a narcissist is not to feel any sort of remorse. It's unlikely that you'll feel bad about hurting anyone's feelings. And because regret is all about feeling empathy for what people might be going through and thinking about how they might feel, it's common not to have any regret - because narcissists won't have empathy, either.33. Your self-esteem is super fragile
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While narcissists might like to feel the biggest and the best at everything, that doesn't mean their self-esteem is high. Narcissists can react very badly to anything that makes them look bad, which can lead to them turning nasty or snapping at someone if they make them out to look a fool.34. You've been known to demean people
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Demeaning people shows a lack of respect for others - and it can be a defense mechanism if your self-esteem has been wounded. Because instead of being willing to accept you've made mistakes or done something wrong, you turn it on others to make them feel little and take the focus away from you.35. You like to be admired
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Of course, as a narcissist that thinks highly of themselves, you're going to love getting praise and compliments - in fact, you thrive off it. You might also have false modesty in that you pretend to be humble but actually you're secretly thinking that you earned every single compliment.36. You can't handle criticism - at all
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Criticism means you've done something wrong - or someone thinks you have. Criticism means you have to understand someone else's viewpoint and empathize with them. And criticism means you're not this perfect person you think you are. All of this means you're not going to react very well at all.37. You don't respect other people's boundaries
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Respecting other people's boundaries comes back to that very important thing again: empathy. Which you don't have. You don't respect other people's boundaries because you can't put yourself in their shoes, and you don't care. If you want something, you don't hold back.38. You're very selfish
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And this, in turn, makes you a very selfish person - and you can be selfish in every aspect. You're likely selfish with money, with your time, in your relationships, and basically making sure that your own needs are met without thinking about other's people's needs.39. And the whole world revolves around you, of course
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In being a selfish person the whole world revolves around you, too. And this doesn't just mean what you expect - it also means how you react to things. For example, you could think that every single situation or comment is directed at you. News flash: it's not all about you!40. You have superficial relationships
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Your relationships will be very much dependant on how good they make you look. You probably like to have big and powerful friends. You want to be seen as having the 'perfect' partner. You only care about image, so you're unlikely to have a very close best friend.41. You probably have a history of bad dating, too
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Narcissists do not have a great track record when it comes to dating - and that's because not many people will want to be with a narcissist. Or at the very least, one who isn't willing to change. So you've likely had a string of failed relationships where you couldn't keep someone long-term.42. And the failure of those relationships was never your fault
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If your exes broke up with you, you'll waste no time in telling everyone around you why it wasn't your fault, why they were the bad guy and maybe even lying and telling new people that you're the one who broke up with them. That's because a failed relationship makes you look like a failure - and you can't have that.43. You're a fan of gaslighting
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Gaslighting is when you work to make a person question their own understanding, memory or perception of a situation. You could do this to colleagues, friends or dating partners. Gaslighting is often done by narcissists as a manipulation tactic to get them to believe what you want them to believe.44. You hate others making decisions for you
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If others are making decisions for you, it not only means that you're not in control, but you might also panic about how this will make you look. If someone has bough clothes for you, booked a restaurant for you or signed you up for something, are these all going to be in line with the image you want to portray?45. You can't admit your mistakes
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Mistakes? What mistakes? You don't make mistakes! This is what you want everyone else to think, anyway. While inside you'll know that you made a mistake, you won't want anyone else to know that. So you'll find a way to wriggle your way out of it, ignore it or pass the blame.46. You think others are envious of you
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Because you have this image of grandeur and superiority complex, you'll likely spend a lot of time thinking that other people envy you. And you could also think this is the reason for their behaviour. 'That person is criticising me? Oh, they're only jealous'. 'That person is being annoying? It's only because they're jealous of me!'.47. But you're also envious of others
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The trouble with narcissism is it's all about image and materialism, which means you can also be envious of other people, too. You'll be envious of other people's success, if they've done something better than you, or anything that makes them seem like the more 'successful' person.48. You often take advantage of others
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As a narcissist, you'll want to do whatever it takes to craft this perfect image of yourself, and you're going to do whatever you can to achieve success. This often means walking all over people to get to the top - whether in your personal life, or in the workplace setting. Or both!49. You'll put on a mask to outsiders to seem like a lovely person
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Narcissists in relationships or with close friends often want to be seen as non-narcissists to outsiders. If you're in a relationship that's struggling because your partner is calling you out for your narcissistic ways, you'll act like the perfect person to every one else in public. That way, if things fall apart, they'll think 'Oh, but they were such a lovely person! It must be the other person's fault!'.50. You can be hostile
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This is very much a defence mechanism, and you'll likely be quick to anger, be seen as hostile and very aggressive. Most likely this hostility will come out if someone challenges you, complains about you, or makes you out to be anything less than perfect. It'll make you angry.What To Read Next
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