noun | /ˌsu doʊˌtɛloʊˌsi miˌoʊˌmɛtrikoˌæksi.oʊˈmeɪ.
ni.ə/
1. A maladaptive cognitive–emotional tendency to fixate obsessively on trivial, meaningless, or functionally
useless actions, metrics, signs, or informal promises, assigning them exaggerated symbolic or emotional significance despite having no real utility, consequence, or social value.
2. The ritualized maintenance of such actions or metrics for their perceived meaning rather than any practical purpose.
Etymology:
• pseudo- (Greek ψευδής) =
false
• telos (τέλος) = end, purpose
• sēmeion (σημεῖον) = sign,
token
• metron (μέτρον) = measure, metric
• axia (ἀξία) = value, worth
• -
mania (μανία) = obsessive fixation
1. Her pseudotelosemeiometricoaxiomania
made her obsessively refresh the app to keep a meaningless daily streak
alive.
2. He kept an old game
running for hundreds of hours just to preserve a leaderboard rank, clear pseudotelosemeiometricoaxiomania.