At what point would you consider somebody to be Megalomaniacal, or Arrogant?

Also, Where would you differentiate that from simply being Confident, or Self-Sure?

If there is a vast disconnect between someone's actual abilities, talents, or general value, as compared to their own inflated opinion of same.

Being confident, self-sure, or even elitist and maybe arrogant, is totally fine in my book, unless the person is mistaken in their appraisal of self worth.

On the otherhand, people that cry too much about not being good enough, fishing for support, are at least as annoying as pompous people that think they are better than they really are.

Generally, if I start to really connect with someone on a deep level, it is reasonable to assume they are an arrogant megalomaniac.

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Originally Posted by AmeliaG

Generally, if I start to really connect with someone on a deep level, it is reasonable to assume they are an arrogant megalomaniac.

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Please explain? :confused:

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Originally Posted by ForrestBlack

If there is a vast disconnect between someone's actual abilities, talents, or general value, as compared to their own inflated opinion of same.

Being confident, self-sure, or even elitist and maybe arrogant, is totally fine in my book, unless the person is mistaken in their appraisal of self worth.

On the otherhand, people that cry too much about not being good enough, fishing for support, are at least as annoying as pompous people that think they are better than they really are.

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I love it when a person is extremely Cocky and Self-Confident, but by that same token; If they are justified by their abilities, actions, etc, then it may not be considered Arrogant.

That probably was similar to what you just said, but that was in my own words.

If they ended up with the same meaning, then that means I agree with you,lol. :thumb: :1orglaugh

That would really depend on what type of attitude they had toward me before I could start to make assessments on someone's arrogance meter. It is extremely important to have self-esteem though megalomania is another thing all together. If you have the backing to act superior and feel the need to do so, then act on it, if you don't, well... that's also your choice. Every last one of us is unique and these terms to describe someone who is full of themselves are quite relative.

When I think of a meglomaniac, I think of an over the top dictator or a supervillain like the Joker (or those Enron fellows) or my old High School director. With someone that's arrogant, it seems to me it's when you put on out an attitude that you have everything figured out and others get the sense you really haven't. Here is a more extreme definition of arrogance I have come across in my reading:

"Arrogance is the denial of love, because love shares and arrogance withholds."

As long as he's cocksure, it's all good Baby. :wink2:



~Histrionica~

I don't mind some one being "arrogant", if i did, i wouldn't have ever been able to put up with Rob. To me the most arrogant and annoying thing some one can do is refuse to look at you while they are talking to you, like you are not good enough to hold their attention. I'm not talking about the people that are looking for some one or are distracted by a tv or a stripper, I'm talking about the people that go out of their way not to look at you. It infuriates me to no end.
K

Someone who acts in an important way but lacks justification for it is what I think arrogance is. It is completely unattractive to me. A megalomaniac is a pathological (psychological delusional) egotist. That also sounds really unattrative.

Self-confidence, however, is a positive belief in yourself and your abilities. It allows for humbleness for when you make mistakes (and everyone makes mistakes) but also learn from it and most importantly, move on with the lesson learned. Self-confident people have hard times but they don't constantly whine about it-- they do something about their problems as best as they can. They stand up for themselves when challenged, but with justification.

Over-self-confidence is cockiness.

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Originally Posted by keiko

I don't mind some one being "arrogant", if i did, i wouldn't have ever been able to put up with Rob. To me the most arrogant and annoying thing some one can do is refuse to look at you while they are talking to you, like you are not good enough to hold their attention. I'm not talking about the people that are looking for some one or are distracted by a tv or a stripper, I'm talking about the people that go out of their way not to look at you. It infuriates me to no end.
K

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I agree with you totally on that one. I doubt someone who does that to me, at all, would get one more minute of my day!

I like confidence, even when it is extreme, but I dislike poor evaluation skills. So if someone is high on how great they are, that is fine by me. Even attractive to me. But if their positive impression of self leads them to have inaccurate negative impressions of others, then that is unattractive. But it is the stupidity and inaccuracy that bother me, not the arrogance.

I remember a story a high school friend told me at a RPG group/gathering thing he went to. He was playing a table top game like Warhammer Fantasy Battle or 40K. He had his little goblin fighter battalion and the flag bearer had a picture of him on it and something like "our great leader" or something like that.

To which one of the players responded: "So, what you, uh, like yourself of something."

To which he chortled: "Well, yeah, duh, l like myself."

My last roommate was both arrogant and megalomaniacal. He would constantly criticize me, sometimes for two diametricly opposed arguments, and yet I was always expected to accept his views and opinions as absolute truth. If someone disagreed with him, or in some cases everyone disagreed with him, they were automaticly an idiot. It didn't matter how much reason and logic you had on your side, absolutely NOTHING would convince him he was wrong. Ever. He just literally believed he was better than almost everyone else, and that the elite (him) should have privileges that nobody else has. He expected special treatment from everyone. He was my roommate for less than two weeks before I had to stay with someone else or kill the bastard.

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Originally Posted by macabrette

My last roommate was both arrogant and megalomaniacal. He would constantly criticize me, sometimes for two diametricly opposed arguments, and yet I was always expected to accept his views and opinions as absolute truth. If someone disagreed with him, or in some cases everyone disagreed with him, they were automaticly an idiot. It didn't matter how much reason and logic you had on your side, absolutely NOTHING would convince him he was wrong. Ever. He just literally believed he was better than almost everyone else, and that the elite (him) should have privileges that nobody else has. He expected special treatment from everyone. He was my roommate for less than two weeks before I had to stay with someone else or kill the bastard.

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I wouldn't dislike him for being arrogant, but I would dislike him for being inconsiderate and illogical.

I agree with Amelia

Being secure, confident and aware of your good points is extremely attractive.

But being under some illusion of yourself is extremely annoying.

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Originally Posted by macabrette

My last roommate was both arrogant and megalomaniacal. He would constantly criticize me, sometimes for two diametricly opposed arguments, and yet I was always expected to accept his views and opinions as absolute truth. If someone disagreed with him, or in some cases everyone disagreed with him, they were automaticly an idiot. It didn't matter how much reason and logic you had on your side, absolutely NOTHING would convince him he was wrong. Ever. He just literally believed he was better than almost everyone else, and that the elite (him) should have privileges that nobody else has. He expected special treatment from everyone. He was my roommate for less than two weeks before I had to stay with someone else or kill the bastard.

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I currently have a girlfriend who had a ex-boyfriend who was stalking her whom you perfectly described. He also, eventually, had no friends and became somewhat suicidal and quite sexually aggressive.

I was hired by a friend-of-a-friend who was very similiar. He, again, was as you describe above. He was married and had one child. While a man who decided to do things outside of his marriage that his wife, a friend of mine, would not approve. He had no problem sacrificing his friends for his goals. He was quite fond of saying: "Someone around here needs to get fired so people will take their work more seriously." Though a supposed friend and ally, he told his wife plainly that he was going to get me fired. She was immediately on the horn, warning me via friendly channels. Fortunately, he was sexually harassing friends at work, so I used that as a buffer, as well as his habits of coming in late, or not at all (he was bi-polar). That kept me employed another year, but he was a genius computer programmer they were not about to let go. I being a johnny-come-lately, was out the door, soon enough and he still works there to this day.