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{{Short description|Inflated feelings of personal ability, privilege, or infallibility}}
⚫ A '''Deity Complex''' ('''god complex''' for a man and '''goddess complex''' for a woman)is an unshakable belief characterized by consistently inflated feelings of personal ability, privilege, or infallibility. A person with a deity complex may refuse to admit the possibility of their error or failure, even in the face of complex or intractable problems or difficult or impossible tasks, or may regard their personal opinions as unquestionably correct.<ref name="Kaplan (1972)" /><ref></ref> The individual may disregard the rules of society and require special consideration or privileges.<ref name="Kaplan (1972)">{{cite book|last=Kaplan|first=Harold I.|title=Modern Group Book, volume 4: Sensitivity through encounter and marathon|year=1972|publisher=J. Aronson|coauthors=Benjamin J. Sadock}}</ref>
{{For|the Doctor Who episode|The God Complex}}
{{distinguish|Playing God (ethics){{!}}Playing God}}


⚫ A '''god complex''' is an unshakable belief characterized by consistently inflated feelings of personal ], ], or ].<ref>{{cite book |last=Christian |first=Danny |author-link= |date=October 2021 |title=Reversing Willie Lynch's Slave Making Method |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SclGEAAAQBAJ |location= |publisher=Xlibris US |page= |isbn=9781664109612}}</ref> The person is also highly ] in their views, meaning the person speaks of their personal opinions as though they were unquestionably correct.<ref name="Kaplan (1972)" /> Someone with a god complex may exhibit no regard for the ], and may request special consideration or privileges.<ref name="Kaplan (1972)">{{cite book|last=Kaplan|first=Harold I.|title=Modern Group Book, volume 4: Sensitivity through encounter and marathon|year=1972 |publisher=J. Aronson|author2=Benjamin J. Sadock}}</ref>
''Deity complex'' is not a clinical term or diagnosable disorder, and does not appear in the '']''.


''God complex'' is not a clinical term nor diagnosable disorder and does not appear in the '']'' (''DSM''). The recognized diagnostic name for the behaviors associated with a god complex is ] (NPD). A god complex may also be associated with ] or a ].
⚫ The first person to use the term god-complex was ] (1913/51).<ref> at the ] Retrieved 2012-01-22</ref> His description, at least in the contents page of ''Essays in Applied Psycho-Analysis'', describe the god complex as belief that one is a god.<ref>Ernest Jones - ''Essays in Applied Psycho-Analysis'' - 472 pages Retrieved 2012-01-22 ISBN 1-4067-0338-9</ref>


⚫ The first person to use the term "god complex" was ] (1913–1951).<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120231931/http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/about/index.html |date=2012-01-20 }} at the ] Retrieved 2012-01-22</ref> His description, at least in the contents page of ''Essays in Applied Psycho-Analysis'', describes the god complex as belief that one is a ].<ref>{{cite book |first=Ernest |last=Jones |title=Essays in Applied Psycho-Analysis |pages=472 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W1OZ5NRz3egC |publisher=Lightning Source Inc |date=15 March 2007 |access-date= 2012-01-22 |isbn= 978-1-4067-0338-2}}</ref>
==In text and media==
It is common in various fictitious media for characters—usually villainous in nature—to develop a deity complex. Examples of this are as follows:


==Jehovah complex==
*In Shakespeare's '']'', Hamlet seems to suffer from a God complex, choosing not to kill Claudius while he prays (lest he go to heaven), and - in rewriting his own death sentence to condemn Rosencrantz and Guildenstern - orders them executed "not shriving time allowed," thus ensuring their damnation.
'''Jehovah complex''' is a related term used in ] to describe a neurosis of egotistical self-inflation. Use included in psychoanalytic contributions to ] and biography, with, for example, ] using the term about ] in his 1924 biography<ref>''Sigmund Freud: His Personality, His Teachings and His School'', by ], 1924</ref> and ] using the term about ] and ].<ref>, by ], ''Psychoanal Rev'' 1921, '''8'''(1):22-37</ref>

*In the ] universe, numerous villains have exhibited this tendency. Particularly noted is the ] character featured in the ] series, who at one point-while quoting from a Transformer religious text obviously based on the ]-claims to be "''Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.''"

*In the 1993 movie ], Alec Baldwin playing the role of a playboy, can-do-no-wrong doctor, Jed Hill, feigns a God Complex in a plot reversal (he loses a lawsuit due to his God Complex).

*In the 2005 movie, ], the main antagonist Dr. Merrick (played by Sean Bean) believes that by creating human clones that provide replacement parts for their real human counterparts he is a god that can cheat death.

*In the manga and anime ] the character ] literally claims he's an immortal god, fully donning a god complex

*In the ] video game series, specifically the game ], the villainous character Neyla/Clock-La likewise claims to be "Alpha and Omega", claiming that she will attain victory after being utterly defeated by the protagonists of the game.

*In the Japanese ] and ] series '']'', the main character, ], attempts to create and rule a world "cleansed of evil" as a "God".

*In another Japanese manga and anime series, '']'', the three primary antagonists all display tendencies characteristic of a god complex. The antagonist of part I, ], wishes to become "the ultimate being" by attaining immortality. In the beginning of part II, ] believes that he is a god who can make all people understand each other by inflicting them all with the same pain. He later regresses from his complex. In the end of part II, ] even more clearly displays this personality, attempting to rule the world and enslave humanity under an illusionary technique.

*Another Japanese manga and anime series, ''Soul Eater'', portrays a character named Black Star, who claims he will "surpass God" with his might and power. In some episodes, if he is defeated, despite his incredible skill, his abilities will spiral downwards in his disappointment in himself.

* Anime and manga often use antagonists with a god complex. Another example is ] from the anime ], who uses the power of Geass to force his will on anybody he makes eye contact with. He takes on the guise of "Zero" and, through controlling a terrorist organization Called the black knights, feels as though he is a god and rises up against an oppressive regime.

*The ], main protagonist of ''],'' is described as having a god complex in the episode "]" however he does not show the ascribed symptoms of the complex.

*Also in ''Doctor Who'', the ] ]s, the primary antagonist of the episode '']'', is revealed to have rebuilt the Dalek race using the DNA of captured humans. The Emperor believes itself to be "the god of all Daleks", and is worshiped as such by the Daleks it commands.

*In '']'', attempting to explain the evident connection of ] to the appearance of mysterious animals and catastrophic events in the universe, ] calls the perpetrator a ]c, elaborating further that Jones has a god complex.

*In the popular cartoon series ] it is believed by many that the character ] has a god complex as she believes she cannot make mistakes and that she is unquestionably correct most notably her belief that she is fluent in Spanish where in reality her Spanish is very poor.

*In the '']'' episode "]", the perpetrator was profiled as a "]" with a "severe God complex".

*In '']'' Sephiroth shows a God complex, using his power as ''Jenova'' 's son to try and destroy the world and become the new god of Gaia. And he succeeded. Almost. He definitely won immortality and omniscience, adding to his already boosted skills.
In his last and final appearance in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, his final words "''I...will never be a memory''" show that he will always exist, regardless if he has a body or not.

*In a video game developed by Frictional Games and Chinese Room, '']'', the main antagonist, The Engineer, shows a God complex. He claims that mankind is evil and filthy, that they are all "pigs", and he takes upon himself to "redeem" them and make the world "pure" (by "redemption" he actually means killing everyone and destroying the entire world, thus making it "pure"). He often uses religious and biblical terminology when talking about the world, himself, and his plans.


==See also== ==See also==
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==References== ==References==
{{reflist}} {{Reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* - ''The Shrink with a God Complex'' Ronald Hayman ''Newsday'', (April 22, 2001) * by Ronald Hayman (April 22, 2001), '']'', at McLemee.com
* - ''Did Caligula have a God complex? Stanford, Oxford archaeologists find evidence that depraved tyrant annexed sacred temple'', John Sanford (September 10, 2003)


{{Narcissism}} {{Narcissism}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:God Complex}} {{DEFAULTSORT:God Complex}}
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Latest revision as of 15:23, 19 October 2024

Inflated feelings of personal ability, privilege, or infallibility For the Doctor Who episode, see The God Complex. Not to be confused with Playing God.

A god complex is an unshakable belief characterized by consistently inflated feelings of personal ability, privilege, or infallibility. The person is also highly dogmatic in their views, meaning the person speaks of their personal opinions as though they were unquestionably correct. Someone with a god complex may exhibit no regard for the conventions and demands of society, and may request special consideration or privileges.

God complex is not a clinical term nor diagnosable disorder and does not appear in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The recognized diagnostic name for the behaviors associated with a god complex is narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). A god complex may also be associated with mania or a superiority complex.

The first person to use the term "god complex" was Ernest Jones (1913–1951). His description, at least in the contents page of Essays in Applied Psycho-Analysis, describes the god complex as belief that one is a god.

Jehovah complex

Jehovah complex is a related term used in Jungian analysis to describe a neurosis of egotistical self-inflation. Use included in psychoanalytic contributions to psychohistory and biography, with, for example, Fritz Wittels using the term about Sigmund Freud in his 1924 biography and H. E. Barnes using the term about George Washington and Andrew Jackson.

See also

References

  1. Christian, Danny (October 2021). Reversing Willie Lynch's Slave Making Method. Xlibris US. ISBN 9781664109612.
  2. ^ Kaplan, Harold I.; Benjamin J. Sadock (1972). Modern Group Book, volume 4: Sensitivity through encounter and marathon. J. Aronson.
  3. Deep Blue Archived 2012-01-20 at the Wayback Machine at the University of Michigan umich.edu Retrieved 2012-01-22
  4. Jones, Ernest (15 March 2007). Essays in Applied Psycho-Analysis. Lightning Source Inc. p. 472. ISBN 978-1-4067-0338-2. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  5. Sigmund Freud: His Personality, His Teachings and His School, by Fritz Wittels, 1924
  6. "Some Reflections on the Possible Service of Analytic Psychology to History", by H. E. Barnes, Psychoanal Rev 1921, 8(1):22-37

External links

Narcissism
Similar personality concepts
In society
Pathological narcissism
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