Pronoia (social-psychological)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pronoia is a term used by Fred Goldner in an article with that title in the journal "Social Problems", vol 30, No 1, October 1982 pp. 83-91. Pronoia is the positive counterpart of paranoia. It is the delusion that others think well of one. Actions and the product of one's efforts are thought to be well-received and praised by others. Mere acquaintances are seen as close friends. Pronoia seems to be rooted in the social complexity and cultural ambiguity of our lives as we have become increasingly dependent on the opinions of others that are, in turn, based on uncertain criteria. Pronoia is encouraged by the difficulty of negative face-to-face evaluations, the inflated language of letters of recommendations, looking for positive signs when one is in a situation of being judged by subjective criteria, and by the polite silence of others when one is involved in boastful remarks or name-dropping.