wishful thinking
noun1
Human sciences, Psychology, Sciences Idiomatic, Usually The formation of beliefs based on an outcome that aligns with one's desires or hopes, while disregarding evidence, rationality, or reality.
- When you first come out, you might have an overactive gaydar. When I realized I was gay, I wanted everyone to be gay too, which led to a lot of wishful thinking. "Helen Hunt is gay!" Dream on, girl!1996, Judy Carter, The Homo Handbook:
- Although no word has ever really emerged of what the Queen has really thought of her prime ministers, there has always been a sense that she did not get on terribly well with Thatcher. Some of this is doubtless wishful thinking, but there were sufficient straws in the wind to give it some credence, such as the story that the prime minister asked what the sovereign intended to wear to an event so as to avoid a clash, only to be told frostily that Her Majesty did not pay any attention to what other people wore.2022 September 8, Stephen Bates, “Queen Elizabeth II obituary”, in The Guardian:
2
Idiomatic, Usually Decision making based on self-delusion.
- Related terms
- hopium, wishcasting, wishful hoping, wishful thinker, wishful thought