Megalomania

Megalomania refers to having the irrational belief that one is all powerful and highly important. It also refers to an obsession for omnipotence and grandeur. This term came from the Greek words “megalo” which means “great” or “large” and “mania” which means “madness”. Many tyrants are megalomaniacs; for example, Joseph Stalin, was infamous as a dictator of the Soviet Union. A number of innocent people perished during his reign. In fact, during meetings, he forced everyone to clap for him until he would press a buzzer.

Megalomania is a popular culture term which is associated with the clinical term, Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) which is characterized by at least five of the following:

• Grandiose sense of self-importance • Preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited power, beauty, or love • Having the belief that one is unique; hence, he can only be understood by or associate with people or institutions having a high status • Demands excessive admiration • Has a sense of entitlement • Interpersonally exploitative • Lacks empathy • Usually envious of others or believes that others are envious of him/her • Displays arrogant behaviors