We human beings have a deep need to think highly of ourselves. If that opinion of our goodness, greatness, and brilliance diverges enough of reality, we become grandiose. We imagine our superiority. Often a small measure of success will elevate our natural grandiosity to even more dangerous levels. Our high self-opinion has now been confirmed by events. We forget the role that luck may have played in the success, or the contributions of others. We imagine we have the golden touch. Losing contact with reality, we make irrational decisions. That is why our success often does not last. Look for the signs of elevated grandiosity in yourself and in others – overbearing certainty in the positive outcome of your plans; excessive touchiness if criticized; a disdain for any form of authority. Counteract the pull of grandiosity by maintaining a realistic assessment of yourself and your limits. Tie any feelings of greatness to your work, your achievements, and your contributions to society.
Grandiosity is a form of primal energy we all possess. It impels us to want something more than we have, to be recognized and esteemed by others, and to feel connected to something larger. The problem is not with energy itself, which can be used to fuel our ambitions, but with the directions it takes. Normally grandiosity makes us imagine we are greater and more superior than is actually the case.
Once we have tamed our grandiose energy, made it serve our ambitions and goals, we should feel safe to let it loose upon occasion. Think of it as a wild animal that needs to roam free now and then or it will go mad from restlessness. What this means is that we occasionally allow ourselves to entertain ideas or projects that represents greater challenges than we have considered in the past. We need to begin from a position of honesty. We must admit to ourselves that we do want to feel important and be the center of attention. This is natural. Yes, we want to feel superior. We have ambitions like everyone else. In the past, our grandiose needs may have led us into some bad decisions, which we can now acknowledge and analyze. Denial is our worst enemy. Only with this self-awareness can we begin to transform the energy into something practical and productive.