When my former partner Ivan got really sick in 1994, he told me he believed he was a genius. This upset him a lot because there was a part of him who knew this was an odd thing to feel, but the other part believed it. When he got so ill he could no longer have a coherent conversation, he definitely thought he knew more than most people. I found a piece of paper where he was listing all of his thoughts- one said, “I am genius.”
Grandiosity is characterize by a person truly, truly believing that they are better than everyone and they make sure people know it! I remember being manic once and looking in the mirror and thinking- I am more beautiful than every person I know! That is manic grandiosity at its best!
Manic grandiosity is very different from narcissism. The grandiosity that comes with mania is episodic- in other words it is ONLY there during a bipolar disorder mood swing. Narcissism is a personality disorder that is consistent and truly part of a person’s being.
Manic grandiosity can be funny or it can be very annoying. When someone is grandiose, it’s hard to get them to see reality. They feel so superior that your opinion doesn’t matter.
Bipolar disorder is so odd. One minute we can feel like the dirt of the earth- and then we are smarter than everyone in the world.
Julie
PS: I went onto Google images to find a picture that represets the word grandiosity. Guess who had the most pictures. Politicians!
