![]() They can make up intricate stories about their past, which can be extremely frustrating for friends, family, and co-workers because they don’t know when to trust them. Meanwhile, pathological liars lie compulsively and for no apparent reason. Under normal circumstances, people who lie do so because they have a motivation, something to be gained from it. Also known as pseudologia fantastica or mythomania, compulsive lying can point to a more severe mental health condition and refers to the habit of deceiving others even though no benefit can be drawn from it. Or, when the hairdresser asks you if you like your new haircut, you half-heartedly answer yes, despite the fact that it’s not at all what you had in mind.Ĭompulsive lying is different. ![]() These are the so-called “white lies” – lies that we don’t enjoy telling, but that are often necessary to avoid an embarrassing situation or to hurt someone’s feelings.įor example, when your friend offers you a meal they cooked themselves, you might tell them it’s delicious even though you didn’t really love it. And yet, the average person tells between one to two lies per day and hears between 10 and 200 lies, most of which are harmless. If it is different from "compulsive liar", then this is probably the best description of Donald Trump, but even so, it is probably more of an insult than a medical diagnosis.Growing up, we are taught that we should not tell lies and that honesty is an admirable trait in a human being. While I might use "pathological liar" for someone who lies deliberately to achieve their ends, who sees nothing wrong in lying, I am not at all sure this is an accurate medical use of the term (and with the word "pathological", I would expect there to be an accepted medical use). The compulsive liars I have known have not appeared to have any objective (in lying) at all. He seems to have some quite clear objectives, but is rather indiscriminate over means. President Trump does not fit the type, not as I recognise it. I have encountered a couple of people like this. "Compulsive liar" seems the most straightforward of the three terms, someone who lies for its own sake, even when it appears to offer them no advantage. I very much doubt I would use the term "congenital liar", except as hyperbole. I suppose it could be inferred if it was an inherited characteristic. I think this would be difficult to establish, unless the person was willing to be genetically tested (if genes causing this have been identified). Pathological Liar: How to Cope with Someone's Compulsive Liesĭo you make a distinction between "pathological liar", "compulsive liar" or "congenital liar"? The header on the Google Search (but not within the article that I could find) said: Pathological Liar: How to Cope with Someone’s Compulsive Lies In fact, lying has become a habit.Īnd then there are these sites that confuse: Habitual liars are people who lie all the time. Some types of compulsive liar personality disorder are the habitual liar and the narcissistic liar. They also display obvious lying behaviors, such as breaking out into a sweat, avoiding eye contact, rambling or tripping over their words. Their stories don’t usually have a ring of truth to them. Unlike the pathological liar, compulsive liars are easier to figure out. They have no concern for the feelings of others, even of those people who are close to them.Ĭompulsive liars lie for many different reasons. They are manipulative, crafty, and usually have a goal in mind when they lie. Compulsive LiarĪ pathological liar is someone who lies to get his way. "Congenital lying" seems to be falling into disuse.Īn In-depth Comparison: Pathological Liar Vs. She said that he was a "pathological liar".Ī quick Google check says she does know more about lying than I do. I referred to Donald Trump as a "congenital liar" this morning, and I was corrected by someone who apparently knows more about lying than I do.
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