Assume someone thinks that other people care deeply about some trait they have but other people could really care less about this trait. Is there a term to describe that kind of behavior?
For example, assume someone is gay and feels others are always judging them and looking down on them but in reality other people don’t care or mind.
I am guessing it is something like paranoia, but not quite that.
One term is projection. It’s projection if I am thinking something, but instead of acknowledging my preoccupation with that topic, I project onto someone else that they are thinking about it. A lot of time people project onto therapists, and sometimes this is a normal part of psychotherapy. For example, if I am preoccupied with my sexuality, I might project that my therapist is always asking about my sexuality. Or if I am a compulsive liar, I might project that I can’t trust anyone.