Can you spot a pathological liar?
Think back to an age at which you told the most lies or “fibs?” Were you 4, 5, 8, or 10? Why did you tell the lie? Were you trying to get something in return, manipulate a situation in your favor, or avoid hurting someone’s feelings? If so, you are like the majority of us who curtail the truth in order to make things less stressful or negative for us. Curtailing the truth happens a lot, even in the lives of adults.
There are great psychological implications to pathological lying as it is a very complicated matter to study and comprehend. Because lying is a natural thing to most of humanity, it is difficult to understand why someone would lie about every single detail of their life and lie, even when there is no benefit to the lying itself. A pathological liar tends to lie even when the lie is self-defeating, when there is a possibility of being found out, or even if manipulation of others is not the ultimate goal. Someone may lie about having multiple nightmares. This lie does not necessarily manipulate the other person to do something for the liar. The lie could possibly be told to alter your perspective of this person or told for the mere fact of satisfying some internal need of the liar. Some pathological liars, however, tell lies with no clear purpose for doing so. What would be the purpose of telling someone “I have multiple nightmares a night?”
Read more from my sister-site: Psychcentral/caregivers
photo credit: Michal Zacharzewski
