self-delusion
noun
self-de·lu·sion
ˌself-di-ˈlü-zhən 
-dē-
plural self-delusions
1
: the act of deluding oneself or the state of being deluded by oneself especially concerning one's true nature, abilities, feelings, etc.
My god-given talent for self-delusion keeps me believing that the increasing amount of time I spend alone is of my own choice …—
Matthew Ritger
Matthew RitgerThey know what they are doing is wrong. And it's our job to remind them of it. Because when we don't continually remind them, people devolve into self-delusion.—Jessica Valenti
Jessica Valenti2
: a delusion that one has concerning oneself
… a star of immense talent who harbored no self-delusions.—Eric Marchese
Eric MarcheseExamples of self-delusion in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Among the recent discoveries of neuroscience is that radical self-delusion can have an organic source.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Aug. 2024
Overconfidence and self-delusion about abilities may also emerge.
—Nuala Walsh, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024
Meanwhile, his wife (an extraordinary Tilda Swinton) raises self-delusion to an art form.
—Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2024
Retrograde Mercury picks a fight with Uranus, ruler of weirdness, provoking an eruption of unexpected unpleasantness in your life, and then the Sun partners up with Mercury in a temporary flare of stubborn self-delusion.
—Jennifer Culp, Them, 9 Aug. 2024
The reflexive need to crush Trump inevitably led to self-delusion or deliberate concealment of Biden’s weakness.
—Michael Cieply, Deadline, 14 July 2024
For a couple of decades, he’s been shooting short videos (with the help of collaborators) around Chicago and New York City that raise self-delusion to an art, with a hint of Borat.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 3 July 2024
The fissures between family members over what to do about that discovery reveal a whole spectrum of willful American self-delusion and cynicism, carefully shaded by Lila Neugebauer’s precise naturalist direction.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2024
Talk about the United States as the most open or competitive economy in the world is a form of self-delusion.
—Adam S. Posen, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Aug. 2024
Overconfidence and self-delusion about abilities may also emerge.
—Nuala Walsh, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024
Meanwhile, his wife (an extraordinary Tilda Swinton) raises self-delusion to an art form.
—Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2024
Retrograde Mercury picks a fight with Uranus, ruler of weirdness, provoking an eruption of unexpected unpleasantness in your life, and then the Sun partners up with Mercury in a temporary flare of stubborn self-delusion.
—Jennifer Culp, Them, 9 Aug. 2024
The reflexive need to crush Trump inevitably led to self-delusion or deliberate concealment of Biden’s weakness.
—Michael Cieply, Deadline, 14 July 2024
For a couple of decades, he’s been shooting short videos (with the help of collaborators) around Chicago and New York City that raise self-delusion to an art, with a hint of Borat.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 3 July 2024
The fissures between family members over what to do about that discovery reveal a whole spectrum of willful American self-delusion and cynicism, carefully shaded by Lila Neugebauer’s precise naturalist direction.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2024
Talk about the United States as the most open or competitive economy in the world is a form of self-delusion.
—Adam S. Posen, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-delusion.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near self-delusion
Cite this Entry
“Self-delusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-delusion. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
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