What is a Walter Mitty complex?
Walter Mitty is a fictional character, played brilliantly in a movie, by Danny Kaye. Mitty was the quintessential Mr. Milquetoast. The one who wouldn’t say ‘boo’ to a mouse. But in his dreams – ah! – that was a whole different world. In his dreams he was stronger than Superman, wiser than Solomon, handsomer than Clark Gable, funnier than Bob Newhart – well, you get the idea. So a Walter Mitty complex is the man who lives in a fantasy world, because his real world is so devoid of accomplishment, of positive reinforcement and, usually, of love.
