Histrión is a word that refers to the actor of the Greco-Latin theater. One of his characteristics consisted of speaking and gesturing in an exaggerated and feigned way. Consequently, the idea of histrionics indicates the inclination towards excessive, theatrical and unnatural behavior. Sometimes, this term is used as a synonym for hypocrisy and falsehood.
a melodramatic attitude
A histrionic person behaves as if they were performing a performance before an audience. He talks, moves and gestures in an exaggerated way to get the attention of others. Her emotions are communicated intensely and passionately. The histrionic is generally a seducer with good social skills.
This type of behavior reveals a lack of naturalness. In this sense, histrionics is frequent among some political leaders who try to attract attention with grandiose attitudes. As is logical, the entertainment world is the natural context for histrionics.
A behavior that in some cases becomes a personality disorder
A personality disorder exists when someone presents attitudes and emotions that are far removed from the general patterns of society. One of these pathologies is histrionic personality disorder or THP.
THP is a behavior disorder. It is characterized by a series of traits: a tendency to tell lies, theatricality and a confusion between reality and fiction. Likewise, people with this disorder tend to be manipulative and have sudden mood swings.
If the individual with THP fails to get the attention of others, they feel misunderstood and unappreciated. These people are very concerned about their physical appearance, are not very tolerant of frustration, and are very sensitive to any kind of criticism of them.
In the case of women with THP, they are manipulative people, very concerned about their physical appearance, compulsive buyers and a tendency to fake orgasm. The histrionic personality of some women is very present in the history of literature with characters like Madame Bovary or the mermaids who seduced men in Homer’s stories.
Although the specific causes of this disorder have not yet been identified, it is believed that genetic factors and early childhood experiences may be determining factors in developing PDD.
Photo: Fotolia – Katrina Brown
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