Mythomania, or the Munchausen complex, is a diagnosis for those who are prone to pathological lies. Her goal is to embellish her own life, to try to present herself in the most rosy and beneficial light.
Who is Munchausen? The charming character Raspe and the romantic hero of the film “The Same Munchausen” directed by M. Zakharov and screenwriter G. Gorin. In the performance of the incomparable Oleg Yankovsky, he causes a surge of the most positive emotions. And if such a person meets on the way in your real life? Karl Friedrich Hieronymus Baron von Munchausen is an odious person, a descendant of a respected Munchausen family, a fantastic dreamer and storyteller, a real historical person and a rather likable literary character. After R. E. Raspe immortalized him in his brilliant story, consisting of the fascinating stories of the Baron himself, in the 1880s, Munchausen's name becomes a household name - it denotes a person who tells incredible stories. And psychologists and psychiatrists have the term "Munchausen complex"
Many have had to deal with shameless lies not only among children, but also among adults. However, there is a special kind of lies: an unbridled fantasy that presents a person in the most favorable light. This is especially evident during a resort vacation, sincere conversations on a train with random fellow travelers or in the ocean of the Internet. An inspirational liar takes advantage of the fact that it is difficult to establish the truth, since the true biography of the dreamer is hidden from the interlocutor, who often gladly allows him to "hang noodles" on his own ears.
People with the Munchausen complex are obsessed with lying about themselves, tend to embellish their own lives, exaggerate their merits, invent non-existent circumstances in order to stand out clearly from those around them. As a rule, they have a hysterical personality type, low self-esteem, which they never admit to. Sometimes such people get so used to their own invented role that they themselves cease to distinguish the truth from their own fiction.
When meeting them, you do not always recognize who is in front of you - just a joker, a romantic, or a person with an upset psyche. Often these boasters and fiction writers have incredible charm! Life or close relationship with such a person at first seems like a real fireworks of ideas, adventures, surprises. And if you can separate the illusion from reality in time and accept both for granted, then you will not be disappointed.
But if you are a serious person, inclined to control everyone who is in your circle of attention, if you demand the “naked truth” and responsibility for words from everyone who has a relationship with you, you are definitely not on the way with this character. "Munchausen" are not responsible for their "fables", for them it is just a way to increase their own self-esteem, to attract attention, to arouse interest and respect, to satisfy the "sense of self-importance." And also - to make your life not so boring and insipid.
In love, the "Munchausen" try to bring joy to their loved ones in this way, to convince them that there is not just anyone next to them, but a person thanks to whom their life can be happy. And it is hardly reasonable to condemn them for this. To seek "pure truth" from such a person in life is a futile occupation. If you try to bring the inventor "to clean water" using the dangerous technology of "cornering", do not rely on his benevolent mood. He will defend himself, which means he will lie even more. This person lives in his illusions for real, and "pulling" this character out of there, separating his real personality from his fictional life means killing him morally. Debunking his lies about yourself, you will turn into an enemy for him, because the destruction of illusions for him is tantamount to life's collapse.
One should not think that after "exposure" the mythomaniac decides to take the dramatic step of "leaving life", such cases do happen, but extremely rarely. Most likely, the dreamer will lose interest in communicating with you, and will start looking for a more suitable company - not so dull, in his opinion. But the fact that he is a nonentity in your eyes, the inventor will not be able to accept. He will either try to refute your unflattering opinion about him, or he will stop all relations with you.
It is impossible to remake, "re-educate" such people, they must be accepted as they are. If you have managed to fall in love with such a person, take his fantasies as a gift. You will definitely not be bored! "Munchausen" can turn your life into a continuous celebration, their life is like a play or an exciting novel, if you take their word for it. And if you don’t believe, then you can simply perceive their stories as entertainment. In the end, the monotonous gray life, thanks to his inexhaustible ability to color it with his dashing stories, will become much more fun, and maybe more romantic.
