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SITE :  Pathological Liar vs. Straight Shooter
😏 Saying : “Liar, liar, your pants are on fire”

“NORMAL ” vs. PATHOLOGICAL Lying (cont.)

◼️ Pathological
INTERESTING : Psychology & neuroscience provide clues to why some people lie up a storm, while others have trouble being dishonest or detecting dishonesty in others

😇 At one end of the spectrum are those rare individuals who can be described as “pathological truth-tellers.” They refuse to use socially convenient & appropriate fibs, but rather only speak the unvarnished, upsetting truth.
😝 This is a well-known pattern of some ACoAs –  blurting out whatever comes to their mind, (like a chid – “Look mommy, she so fat / he’s ugly….). Such unrecovered ‘normal’ ACoAs are desperately compensating for a severely dysfunctional upbringing, ✒︎ angrily insisting that everything be ‘fair’
✒︎ determined to tell whatever they observe, without boundaries
✒︎ getting back at family lying by outing them to the whole world
✒︎ not let anyone get away with any form of hypocrisy & deception

🧡 However, more commonly, it’s a well-known feature of people with high-functioning autism & Asperger’s Syndrome. Brain scans using fMRI show them to have less activity in areas of the “social brain“, so parts of the prefrontal cortex that should light up – don’t.”

They have a tendency to be very blunt & direct, honest to a fault. Also, they have trouble detecting falsity in other people’s words & actions, making them gullible, AND because they assume other people are as honest as they are, they’re vulnerable to anyone who looks to take advantage.
EXP: TV characters with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

😈 At the opposite extreme —> found in a portion of ‘normal’ people with long-term neglect & abuse, & ACoAs severely traumatized by years of physical & sexually torture.
“Pathological liars have a pattern of frequent, repeated & excessive lying, distinct from occasional dishonesty, with no apparent benefit or gain to them, which seems to defy logic.

What’s most puzzling is that it’s counterproductive. Spouting flagrant whoppers cause trouble in jobs, relationships, even with the law through self-incrimination! Stranger still, the blatantly falseness of their lies can easily be seen through. Not only is there no obvious personal benefit to the lies, but most of the time are easily disprovable.
Researchers speculate that pathological liars experience some sort psychological excitement from fooling others, an internal satisfaction that makes them keep it up, but it’s not known why, suggests Dr. Charles Dike at Yale U. & CT Valley Hospital.

Whether consciously or not – their lies may be triggered by a desire to avoid shame or conflict. It typically includes creating elaborate stories to impress others, & adding more lies when questioned. Pathological liars are characterized by 5 traits.
THEY:
🔻are great storytellers with vivid, dramatic, fantastic & detailed imagination
🔻 make lies convincing, since they’re natural performers
🔻 can end up believing their lies by constant repetition
🔻 will portray themselves as victims or heroes in the ‘stories’

🔻speak in generalities rather than specifics – most of the time, but especially when confronted, acting as if they don’t know what someone is asking them about. Avoiding direct answers, they never have get to the issue at hand, & can react against the challenge (“Who? not me !!  How dare you accuse me…. I never….”)

Recognizing pathological lying can be incredibly difficult, but a recent study published in Psychiatric Research and Clinical Practice developed a self-assessment scale that measures this pattern.  When taking this test, one indicates how strongly they agree or disagree with each item. MY LYING :
√ has caused severe problems in all my relationships
√ is very emotionally distressing
√ has put me or others in danger
√ is out of my control
√ tends to get bigger once I start
√ is for no valid reason
✤ After I lie, I feel less anxious

Pathological lying, with its persistent need to “make up stuff”, has a severely negative impact on one’s overall well-being, as the person gets tangled up  in their own web of deceit.
Some will admit to impaired functioning, being constantly stressed & in more danger – than non-liars – in their emotional, social, & professional life. Because their lies erode others’ trust in them,  genuine connections are not impossible.
In severe cases, pathological lying can lead to financial instability & legal troubles, further compounding the toll it takes on themself & their family.
SITE: Overcoming Pathological Lying

NEXT : Reasons we Lie (#1)