Exaggeration is the representation of something as more extreme or dramatic than it really is.
Exaggeration may occur intentionally or unintentionally.
Exaggeration can be a rhetorical device or figure of speech.
It may be used to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong impression.
Amplifying achievements, obstacles and problems to seek attention is an everyday occurrenceDaniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence (London 1996) p. 113.
Inflating the difficulty of achieving a goal after attaining it, can be used to bolster self-esteem.Beth Azar All puffed up Monitor on Psychology June 2007, Vol 38, No.
6.
In the arts, exaggerations are used to create emphasis or effect.
As a literary device, exaggerations is often used in poetry, and is frequently encountered in casual speech.
Many times the usages of hyperbole describes something as better or worse than it really is.
An example of hyperbole is: "The bag weighed a ton."
Hyperbole makes the point that the bag was very heavy, though it probably does not weigh a ton.
Exaggerating is also a type of deception,Guerrero, L., Anderson, P., Afifi, W. (2007).
Close Encounters: Communication in Relationships (2nd ed.).
Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
as well as a means of malingering - magnifying small injuries or discomforts as an excuse to avoid responsibilities.R. Rogers Clinical Assessment of Malingering and Deception 3rd Edition, Guilford, 2008.
ISBN 1-59385-699-7 In the arts
thumb|250px|Marl Twain once wrote, "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated"
The exaggerator has been a familiar figure in Western culture since at least Aristotle's discussion of the alazon.Aristotle, Ethics (Penguin 1976) p. 165.
Expressionism
'"Expressionist art"...attempted to intensify the expression of feeling and attitude by exaggeration'.Harold Bloom, Thomas Hardy (2010) p. 93 In its wake, even the 'new and hard realism...kept much of the distortion and exaggeration which had been one of the chief devices of earlier Expressionism'.Harold Osborne ed., The Oxford Companion to Art (Oxford 1992) p. 397.
Tragedy
Although the boaster (alazon) is primarily a comic figure, 'the alazon may be one aspect of the tragic hero as well: the touch of miles gloriosus in Tamburlaine, even in Othello, is unmistakable, as is the touch of the obsessed philosopher in Faustus and Hamlet'.Frye, p.
39. Humour
'Some theoreticians of the comic consider exaggeration to be a universal comic device'.Emil Draitser, Techniques of Satire (1994) p. 135 It may take different forms in different genres, but all rely on the fact that 'the easiest way to make things laughable is to exaggerate to the point of absurdity their salient traits'.M. Eastman/W. Fry, Enjoyment of Laughter (2008) p. 156.
Caricature A caricature can refer to a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness: 'disproportionately increasing and emphasizing the defects of the features'.Filippo Baldinucci, quoted in Harold Osborne ed., The Oxford Companion to Art (Oxford 1992) p. 204.
In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.
Slapstick Slapstick is the recourse to humor involving exaggerated physical activity which exceeds the boundaries of common sense.
These exaggerated depictions are often found in cartoons, and light film comedies aimed at younger audiences.
Overacting
Overacting is the exaggeration of gestures and speech when acting.
It may be unintentional, particularly in the case of a bad actor, or be required for the role.
For the latter, it is commonly used in comical situations or to stress the evil characteristics of a villain.
Since the perception of acting quality differs between people the extent of overacting can be subjective.
Animation Exaggeration is an effect especially useful for animation, as perfect imitation of reality can look static and dull in cartoons.
The level of exaggeration depends on whether one seeks realism or a particular style, like a caricature or the style of a specific artist.
The classical definition of exaggeration, employed by Disney, was to remain true to reality, just presenting it in a wilder, more extreme form.Johnston & Thomas (1981), p. 65-6.
Other forms of exaggeration can involve the supernatural or surreal, alterations in the physical features of a character; or elements in the storyline itself.
It is important to employ a certain level of restraint when using exaggeration.
If a scene contains several elements, there should be a balance in how those elements are exaggerated in relation to each other, to avoid confusing or overawing the viewer.
Shock jock
A shock jock, a type of radio broadcaster or disc jockey, entertains listeners or attracts attention using humor and/or melodramatic exaggeration that some portion of the listening audience may find offensive.
In journalism
Schopenhauer saw exaggeration as essential to journalism.
He may have exaggerated the case slightly, but yellow journalism thrived on exaggeration,  and fact-checking and independent verification have not succeeded in suppressing clickbait or hyperbolic headlines.
In politics
thumb|250px|right|In 1800, John Quincy Adams political campaign surrogate's warned voters that if Thomas Jefferson won the election, "murder, robbery, rape, adultery and incest will openly be taught and practiced".
Politicians can exaggerate.
For example:
In the electoral process one may expect exaggeration.
For example: Outside the electoral process the exaggerations of propaganda can bolster the position of incumbents.
In psychology
Individuals with the following mental health issues are often prone to make exaggerated representations:
Factitious disorder/malingering,
Substance related and addictive disorders
Acute stress disorder,
Post traumatic stress disorder,
Avoidant personality disorder, and
Narcissistic personality disorder.
Factitious disorder is when a person acts as if they have a physical or psychological illness.
People with this disorder created the symptoms and are willing to undergo painful or risky tests to get sympathy and special attention.
In popular culture
In 1969, The Monty Python Dirty Fork sketch demonstrates an absurd level of catastrophization where restaurant staff commit suicide and murder each other because of a customer complaint of a dirty fork.
Compare with the scene in the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail involving the Black Knight character which is the opposite extreme of absurdity (minimisation).
See also
References
Further reading
Books
Duttmann, AG; Phillips, J Philosophy of Exaggeration (Continuum Studies in Continental Philosophy) (2007)
Academic papers
Demaree, HA; Schmeichel, BJ; Robinson, JL; Everhart, D. Erik Behavioural, affective, and physiological effects of negative and positive emotional exaggeration.
Cognition and Emotion, Volume 18, Number 8, 2004, 1079–1097(19)
Pieper, WJ Exaggeration, puffery, inferential beliefs and deception in advertising – 1976 – University of South Carolina.
Sperling, OE Exaggeration as a Defense.
Psychoanal Q., 32:553-548.
(1963).
