• catastrophization
• hyperbole
• laying it on thick
• magnification
• maximisation
• overreaction
• overstating
• stretching the truth

Contexts of exaggeration include:

1. boasting and bragging by arrogant or manipulative people.
2. inflated praise in the form of flattery and puffery^[1]
3. a type of deception.^[2]
4. amplifying achievements, obstacles and problems to seek attention.
5. magnifying small injuries or discomforts as an excuse to avoid responsibilities.^[3]
6. a form of cognitive distortion called magnification.
7. overemphasizing one issue and downplaying (minimizing) the other to divert attention from it- see also spin.
8. inflation of the difficulty of achieving a goal after attaining it, possibly to improve self-esteem.^[4]
9. a “grandiose sense of self-importance observed in narcissists.^[5]
10. “self-dramatization, theatricality, and exaggerated expression of emotion” observed in those with those with histrionic personality disorder^[5] and other Cluster B personality disorders.
11. associated with depressive, neurotic or paranoid behaviour – focusing on the worst possible outcome, however unlikely, or thinking that a situation is unbearable or impossible when it is really just uncomfortable.^[6][7]
12. observed in abusers or manipulators to amplify or fabricate faults of the victim as a component of victim blaming – see also hypercriticism.
13. observed in abusers or manipulators to amplify or fabricate injuries as a component of victim playing.

Pseudologia fantastica

Pseudologia fantastica, mythomania, or pathological lying is one of several terms applied by psychiatrists to the behavior of habitual or compulsive lying.^[1][2] It was first described in the medical literature in 1891 by Anton Delbrueck.^[2] Although it is a controversial topic,^[2] one definition of pathological lying is the following: “Pathological lying is falsification entirely disproportionate to any discernible end in view, may be extensive and very complicated, and may manifest over a period of years or even a lifetime.”^[1]

Psychopathy

Psychopathy (pronounced /saɪˈkɒpəθi/^[1][2]) is a personality disorder characterized by an abnormal lack of empathy combined with strongly amoral conduct, masked by an ability to appear outwardly normal.

Psychopaths gain satisfaction through antisocial behavior, and do not experience shame, guilt, or remorse for their actions.^[16][17][18] Psychopaths lack a sense of guilt or remorse for any harm they may have caused others, instead rationalizing the behavior, blaming someone else, or denying it outright.^[19] Psychopaths also lack empathy towards others in general, resulting in tactlessness, insensitivity, and contemptuousness. All of this belies their tendency to make a good, likable first impression. Psychopaths have a superficial charm about them, enabled by a willingness to say anything without concern for accuracy or truth. Shallow affect also describes the psychopath’s tendency for genuine emotion to be short lived and egocentric with an overall cold demeanor. Their behavior is impulsive and irresponsible, often failing to keep a job or defaulting on debts.^[19] Psychopaths also have a markedly distorted sense of the potential consequences of their actions, not only for others, but also for themselves. They do not, for example, deeply recognize the risk of being caught, disbelieved or injured as a result of their behaviour.^[20]

Cyberstalking

Cyberstalking is the use of the Internet or other electronic means to stalk or harass an individual, a group of individuals, or an organization. It may include false accusations, monitoring, making threats, identity theft, damage to data or equipment, the solicitation of minors for sex, or gathering information in order to harass. The definition of “harassment” must meet the criterion that a reasonable person, in possession of the same information, would regard it as sufficient to cause another reasonable person distress.

A number of key factors have been identified:

• False accusations. Many cyberstalkers try to damage the reputation of their victim and turn other people against them. They post false information about them on websites. They may set up their own websites, blogs or user pages for this purpose. They post allegations about the victim to newsgroups, chat rooms or other sites that allow public contributions, such as Wikipedia or Amazon.com.^[4]
• Attempts to gather information about the victim. Cyberstalkers may approach their victim’s friends, family and work colleagues to obtain personal information. They may advertise for information on the Internet, or hire a private detective. They often will monitor the victim’s online activities and attempt to trace their IP address in an effort to gather more information about their victims. ^[5]
• Encouraging others to harass the victim. Many cyberstalkers try to involve third parties in the harassment. They may claim the victim has harmed the stalker or his/her family in some way, or may post the victim’s name and telephone number in order to encourage others to join the pursuit.
• False victimization. The cyberstalker will claim that the victim is harassing him/her. Bocij writes that this phenomenon has been noted in a number of well-known cases.