Educational reference
About this symptom
This describes confidence markedly greater than usual: certainty about plans, abilities or importance that goes beyond what circumstances support.
It ranges from unusual optimism and a sense of exceptional capability through to fixed beliefs about special talents, importance or mission. At the milder end it can be attractive and persuasive to others; at the severe end it can involve a loss of contact with reality.
The practical significance is what follows from it. Decisions made with this degree of certainty - about money, work, relationships, travel or risk - can have consequences that persist long after the episode ends, which is one reason mania is treated as urgent.
Because it feels like clarity rather than illness, it is rarely the reason someone seeks help. It is often identified retrospectively, or raised by people close to the person, which is why assessment frequently draws on their observations too.