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#39070 08/21/01 11:57 AM
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Help - what is the perfect word for someone who has fallen into the trap of believing their own hype? TY


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Not sure if you'll be happy with it, but 'self-delusion' comes to mind, tagvail. There are many ways of conveying the phrase you're talking about, but those too are phrases.
Your use of 'hype' in this case not only seems to imply excessive or exaggerated publicity, but misleading information or even outright deception (of oneself) through publicity.
The film 'The Great White Hype' has an excellent example of this, btw. S.L. Jackson says something like
'You're starting to believe your own bullshit!'
Will that do?


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A classic putdown from many years ago, a friend said to George Gershwin "Tell me, George, if you had to do it all over again, would you still fall in love with yourself?"


#39073 08/21/01 01:53 PM
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self deluding:

Hypenotist?


#39074 08/21/01 02:07 PM
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how about mythomanic? atomica defines mythomania simply as
a compulsion to embroider the truth, engage in exaggeration, or tell lies...but another source further contends that a mythomaniac *believes* in his/her own fabrications.



#39075 08/21/01 02:15 PM
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Perhaps a relative of Baron Von Munchausen?(sp?) Or a megalomanic? And don't forget the great line, "He's a legend in his own mind!"


#39076 08/21/01 03:42 PM
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"hypenotist" Mav's suggestion is excellent. But might not "autohypenotist" be a trifle better?


#39077 08/21/01 03:59 PM
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autohypenotist

... is a car salesman believing his own lies


#39078 08/21/01 04:23 PM
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Bush



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#39079 08/22/01 07:10 PM
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Mythomania - what I was looking for. I'm trying to define my town - Vail, CO and the ski company. They are starting to believe their own PR/hype.


#39080 08/22/01 09:21 PM
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"They are starting to believe their own PR/hype." - to what, a Vail?


#39081 08/22/01 11:20 PM
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Then perhaps it is Mythovania?


#39082 08/23/01 05:03 AM
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I reckon the great majority of people have excellent inbuilt detectors to guard against the likes of those who believe their own bullshit.

I also find a philosophical point in this. Y'ever noticed that there comes a time in the history of many individuals and organisations when they start to believe their own bullshit? Seems to me that this usually occurs just before their whole deck of cards collapses. "Pride comes before a fall" perhaps? (Or is translated from an ancient African saying referring to the arrival of a group of lions in late winter?)

stales


#39083 08/23/01 12:28 PM
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"Pride comes before a fall" ... a group of lions in late winter

I know y'all Antipodeans got summer and winter backwards but I din't know ya left spring and fall where they belong!


#39084 08/23/01 08:45 PM
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#39085 08/24/01 09:55 AM
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I thought we had the "Sorry" talk a long time ago, Max. I recently saw some footage of Mr Howard's reasoning for not saying sorry and it was decidedly weak; something like this (and I paraphrase):
'I don't feel it is necessary for me to apologize for some acts with which I was not involved. My parents raised me to take responsibility when I did something wrong, but I did nothing wrong - so I don't feel the need to apologize.'

What repugnant words - they smell of distrust. He tried to distance himself from the affair, yet it was HIS parents generation that allowed the government to continue their "White Australia" goals.
If I find someone lying at the side of the road, then feeling sorrow and saying you're sorry for their situation isn't admitting personal wrong doing. It is not apologizing for somthing you did, but that it happend at all. Mr Howard, I am sorry for you.


#39086 08/24/01 10:45 AM
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#39087 08/24/01 10:47 AM
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He's a West Islander, after all, a land where a man can get elected Prime Minister....

If we all pronounced judgements on each other based on the idiocy of our national leaders, I would be forced to hate all the US'ns on the Board. And clearly I don't. So take it easy, folks!


#39088 08/24/01 11:04 AM
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#39089 08/24/01 11:29 AM
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I'm sure stales and myself (West Australian parents) can come to terms with Max's light-hearted fun. After all, many Australians would agree that Howard showed himself to be childish rather than stand up for any political agenda. Those who agree with Howard, and have rallied against reparations for Australia's indigenous people are the kind of close-minded bigots you won't find round here anyway.


#39090 08/24/01 09:03 PM
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I really wish US media would cover international issues better. I haven't a clue what y'all are talking about, except that it has to do with relations with natives.

US new reports focus more on someone getting attacked by an alligator than what happens outside our borders.


#39091 08/24/01 10:06 PM
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try reading the economist-- it runs $85 a year (student/teacher rate-- get the forms in the college office) its $125 per annum other wise-- and still worth every penny. it provides world coverage.. ie-- do you know what's happening with Agentina these days? or somolia? or macadonia? unless american get killed there-- it doesn't make the news. most network news teams now rely on BBC or others for foriegn "corespondents"-- they don't have any one any where.. so-- there is never any news from there.

You don't have to like it politics, but the NY Times is also pretty decent coverage of world affairs.. as does the International Herald Tribune-- which is a joint effort of NYT, Washington Post, and (i forget?--LA ?) but at least they have foriegn corespondents.

US News-- is that-- and the world report part is mostly business, not real reporting. the economist is pretty liberal too-- but since its more international, you might like it better than NYT.




#39092 08/25/01 02:01 AM
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Thanks to a friend, I learned that a version of The Economist is available on-line--two, actually, that I get--for free. One Business, one Politics. Note, though--not ALL of the articles are available for free, but I'd say the majority are. Try economist.com--they don't come with a URL, or I'd put it.


#39093 08/25/01 02:17 AM
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Good point about US news, Jazzo! It's all local hype, mostly. I guess, now, all the newsrooms, broadcast and print, believe it's more important than real news since they've been dishing it out for so long.

And talk about 'believing your own hype'...Al Jolson, a great American entertainer from the early 20th century also known as "The Jazz Singer" would actually dismiss the cast of a Broadway show he was starring in early in the evening, and then perform alone for the audience the rest of the night! But he could do it, too! "You ain't seen nothin', yet!" he would tell them. So, then, maybe this is arrogance rather than hype? I mean, if you can really do it you're not bullshitting anybody, right?


#39094 08/26/01 02:43 PM
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As they say down South: "It ain't bragging if you can do it."


#39095 08/26/01 03:14 PM
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A Q&D Google brought up these decent links for anyone who wants to read about, Australia, New Zealand and the World.


http://www.nla.gov.au/oz/npapers.html

http://www.wakeupnews.com/australiannewspapers.htm

http://www.zen.co.uk/home/page/nchadd/newz.htm

http://library.uncg.edu/news/ from U North Carolina -- newspapers from all of the united States and around the world listed and you just click to get them on line

Later edit : Went to Hawaii in last link and viewed the Honolulu Advertiser then clicked onto citycam of Waikiki beach and it made me "wanna go back to my little grass shack in Kealakakua, Hawaii (song -e) deep heart-felt sigh of longing ... *gotta'* win that darn lottery!

#39096 08/27/01 04:00 AM
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And for those who want to keep one eye on Indonesia:

http://www.thejakartapost.com/headlines.asp

http://www.tempointeraktif.com/index,uk.asp

Actually, you'll probably be better informed than I am. All I do is flick through the Jakarta Post print edition before I come to work in the morning.

Bingley


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