Grandiosity
In the field of psychology, the term grandiosity refers to an unrealistic sense of superiority, characterized by a sustained view of one's self as better than others, which is expressed by disdainfully criticising them, overinflating one's own capability and belittling them as inferior; and refers to a sense of personal uniqueness, the belief that few other people have anything in common with oneself, and that one can only be understood by a few, very special people. The personality trait of grandiosity is principally associated with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), but also is a feature in the occurrence  and expression of antisocial personality disorder, and the manic and hypomanic episodes of bipolar disorder. Narcissist-Grandiose (oblivious) Subtype. Pathological grandiosity has been associated with one of the two subtypes of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (Gabbard, 1989). Characteristics of the narcissist-grandiose subtype (as opposed to the narcissist-vulnerable subtype) include: The differences between grandiose and vulnerable narcissist subtypes have been studied (Dickinson & Pincus, 2003): The grandiosity section of the Diagnostic Interview for Narcissism (DIN) (Second edition) is as follows: In mania. In mania, grandiosity is typically more pro-active and aggressive than in narcissism. The manic character may boast of  future achievements or exaggerate their personal qualities. They may also begin unrealistically ambitious undertakings, before being cut down, or cutting themselves back down, to size. In psychopathy. Grandiosity features in Factor 1 Facet 1:Interpersonal in the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) test. Individuals endorsing this criterion appear arrogant and boastful, and may be unrealistically optimistic about their future. The American Psychiatric Association's DSM-5 also notes that persons with antisocial personality disorder often display an inflated self-image, and can appear excessively self-important, opinionated and cocky, and often hold others in contempt. Reality-testing. A distinction is  made between individuals exhibiting grandiosity which includes a degree of insight into their unrealistic thoughts (they are aware that their behavior is considered unusual), and those experiencing grandiose delusions who lack this capability for reality-testing. Some individuals may transition between these two states, with grandiose ideas initially developing as "daydreams" that the patient recognises as untrue, but which can subsequently turn into full delusions that the patient becomes convinced reflect reality. Psychoanalysis and the grandiose self. Otto Kernberg saw the unhealthily grandiose self as merging childhood feelings of specialness, personal ideals, and fantasies of an ideal parent. Heinz Kohut  saw the grandiose self as a normal part of the developmental process, only pathological when the grand and humble parts of the self became decisively divided. Kohut's recommendations for dealing with the patient with a disordered grandiose self were to tolerate and so re-integrate the grandiosity with the realistic self. Reactive Attachment Disorder. The personality trait of grandiosity also is a component of the reactive attachment disorder (RAD), a severe and relatively uncommon attachment disorder that affects children. The expression of RAD is characterized by markedly disturbed and developmentally inappropriate ways of relating to other people in most  social contexts, such as the persistent failure to initiate or to respond to most social interactions in a developmentally appropriate way, known as the "inhibited form" of reactive attachment disorder.