Megalomania or megalomaniac, is a word derived from the Greek word megalo which means large, great or extravagant and the word mania which means obsession, madness, or frenzy. A person who is exhibiting these characteristics are obsessed with grand or extravagant things. They lust for power and control. They are also highly passionate in achieving their goals. These people made their names in history as being conquerors such as Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon and Adolf Hitler.
In Psychiatry, the term means a symptom of mental illness marked by delusions of greatness in power, fame, wealth, self-esteem and others. It is a condition that causes people to think that they have great or unlimited power or importance. Some of its manifestations include being delusional or having exaggerated belief in self-worth, power, knowledge, identity and even a false identification of oneself as a divine being. A person exhibiting this behavior thinks that one is a God, great president, majestic king or queen, renowned inventor, spectacular athlete or other famous personality.
On February 4, 1945, Franklin Roosevelt of United States, Winston Churchill of Great Britain, and Joseph Stalin of USSR secretly met in a place for a seven day meeting. The three world leaders were called the Big Three. They arrived at Yalta, a resort city on the South coast of Crimean peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea. They gathered for a meeting known as Yalta Conference whose purpose was to plan for the final attack on Germany and Japan. They also discussed the re-organization of war torn Europe and future of the world after the war.
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| Winston Churchill on the left seemed unhappy about the outcome of the meeting. Franklin Roosevelt at the middle looking frail and nearing the end of his life. Joseph Stalin on the right seemed appeased with the way things turned out at the conference. |
The story had it that during one of their meetings the three had a casual conversation. Roosevelt began saying that he had a dream one night that he was the President of the WORLD. Churchill was surprised to hear his story and told the two leaders that he too had a dream that he was the Prime Minister of the WORLD. Stalin for his part who had a lot of pride and arrogance replied, "Gentlemen, please, please ............. in my dream I never thought of offering you those positions!"
Whether the story is true or not, fact or fiction, one thing did certainly happened after the gathering. Europe was divided between East and West. Germany was partitioned in 4 sectors by Allied occupying forces. Cold War started between United States and the Soviet Union as the two dominant rival superpowers. Indeed, World War II ended and yet it ushered into a new era of global nuclear arms race where the idea of world peace receded into a DREAM.
A person may not be a Roosevelt, Churchill, or Stalin who had delusion of grandeur but when someone starts to exalt oneself beyond one's true self, then the person should look in front of the mirror and do an honest evaluation. As Christians, we are called to be humble by being gentle, considerate and respecting others belief. Nonetheless, believers are also called by God to share and defend their faith as stated in 1 Peter where Christians are encouraged to be reasonable and kind, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15 NIV).
Christians are not to become proud, arrogant or to think low of others. No one wants to be delusional or to be overly engrossed with oneself. Rather as believers we are to regard and value others self-worth. The Book of Philippians even went further for Christians to exercise humility. It says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." (Philippians 2:3 NIV)
