Everyone can claim to have encountered a lie at least once. There are many answers to the question of why people tell lies. Some people tend to cheat for material gain. Others lie in cases where the best option is to withhold reliable information from relatives or friends. Sometimes a person distorts any facts of reality in order to avoid responsibility for bad deeds. However, there are situations when lying becomes the norm of life and … significantly complicates it.
The Phenomenon of Pathological Deception
Sometimes the habit of confusing others with false information takes possession of a person so much that he himself believes in what he says the truth. Such individuals do not even imagine what a strong dependence they have fallen into. Pathological lies become a real obstacle to a full life in society. Others are not inclined to take lovers of writing seriously. The circle of communication of these personalities narrows, and they turn into outcasts. In addition, such people firmly believe in the truth of their words. Therefore, when others accuse a liar of deceit, he can be sincerely offended and start making excuses.
How to recognize a lover of lies? The next section of the article talks about the tell-tale signs that are characteristic of this kind of abnormal behavior.
Manifestations of a pathological tendency to cheat
The compulsion to write doesn't just happen. Its origins must be sought in the past, in childhood grievances or upheavals. Sometimes a constant desire to lie is characteristic of people who have mental and personal difficulties.
Symptoms of pathological lies are characteristic and pronounced. To identify them, you need to listen well to a person’s speech and analyze the details. A person prone to deceit can retell the same story many times. However, in his narratives, the writer contradicts himself. There are constant inconsistencies in the details of the stories. The liar simply does not notice them. Pathological liars tend to lie about such significant things as the illness or death of relatives and acquaintances. Such a feature becomes an unpleasant feature for others, who at first take the words of the writer for the truth. Of course, sometimes they have to experience excitement. Someone who is prone to abnormal lies believes that he is not doing anything wrong. If he was convicted of a misconduct, the person tries to justify himself (the documents were lost, and friends who saw everything with their own eyes cannot get in touch).
For whom it is characteristicpathological desire to lie?
Such an unpleasant trait is observed in both children and adults. In the behavior of children, deception is an attempt to escape reality or a way to keep any wrongdoing or events a secret. Writing at this age can elicit reactions from others ranging from laughter to censure.
However, pathological lying in adults is becoming a real problem. Individuals who fail to achieve important goals, to carry out any plans, tend to distort information. After all, this way you can convince others that they are significant, successful, influential. But when the deception is finally exposed, the liar faces condemnation.
Is this phenomenon considered a mental disorder?
The tendency to lie can be both a personality characteristic and a sign of illness. Pathological lying in psychiatry is indicated as a manifestation of schizophrenic disorder. Patients with a similar diagnosis are haunted by visions and delusions. As a result, they pass off fictitious information as truth.
Sometimes a person behaves too emotionally. Such individuals show feelings very violently: they cry loudly, laugh. These are patients with hysterical neurosis. They are also characterized by the desire to constantly lie in order to attract the attention of relatives and friends. A pathological lie is combined with a diagnosis of hypochondria. Such individuals regularly visit doctors, trying to convince them that they are sick, and they themselves believe in it. However, analyzes indicate no problems withhe alth. People around evaluate the complaints of an anxious hypochondriac as a hoax.
The desire to constantly lie is characteristic of individuals who cannot adapt to society. They often commit illegal actions: steal, cheat.
Psychological characteristics of those who tell lies all the time
This trait is often found in people who value themselves low. They make up stories to make themselves feel important in the eyes of others.
Pathological lies are a property of individuals who experience difficulties in communication. They cannot get rid of shyness and fearfulness. It is difficult for such people to make decisions. And writing is a great opportunity to gain authority in society.
Unfortunately, liars don't realize the trap they're getting themselves into. A trait of character quickly takes over a person, and he becomes a hostage of deception. This backfires.
Difficulties encountered in the life of writers
Society usually disapproves of a person who often lies. He is not trusted by his co-workers. Friends refuse to communicate with this person. Such a person is removed from participation in solving responsible tasks. This phenomenon significantly complicates his authority in the team, minimizes the opportunity to make a career.
Friends and relatives are gradually moving away from the writer, as they do not want to become victims of another deception.
Persons of the opposite sex do not seek to createfamily with him, because they constantly experience distrust.
How to behave with a person who lies all the time?
If someone is faced with a pathological lie, in no case should he humiliate and blame the writer. However, to indulge would also be a mistake. What is the right thing to do in such a case? First of all, you need to stop taking the words of a person for an indisputable truth. After listening to the story of a liar, you should, if possible, verify the veracity of the story.
If the deception is obvious, it is recommended that you calmly talk to the writer about his problem. It is necessary to express the idea that the emotional state of a person inspires anxiety. Sometimes such people stubbornly refuse to be aware of the presence of this unpleasant feature and do not want to work on themselves. In this case, the most reasonable option would be to stop contact with the deceiver. The question that arises in many who are faced with pathological lies: "How to treat such a person?" There is no definite answer. However, the consultation of a psychotherapist will clearly benefit someone who lies all the time.
How to identify the disorder?
A conversation with a specialist allows you to diagnose and understand what the problem is. However, many deceivers are in no hurry to go to the doctor. They feel shame and embarrassment. And only the threat of relatives and friends to stop communication gives a person an incentive to decide on this serious step. After all, no one wants to be lonely and rejected. The psychologist helps to identify the origins of pathological lies, the reasons that led tothe emergence of this personality trait.
Having learned why and for what purpose people lie, you can explain to them how to find other ways to carry out their plans and successfully communicate with others. There is no cure for deception. Only working on yourself is an effective method of eliminating the problem.
Conclusions
For a person who constantly lies, life becomes incredibly difficult. His environment also faces certain difficulties: household members, acquaintances, colleagues. The origins of this problem lie in childhood or at a later age. People who suffer from self-doubt are timid and fearful and tend to write regularly. So they try to become more authoritative, to achieve respect, recognition, sympathy. Constantly lie and those who can be called demonstrative personalities. They expect increased attention to their person. To acquaintances or relatives who tell a lie, the attitude, as a rule, is reprehensible. A person may think that lying helps them cope with difficulties or avoid responsibility. However, this quality only causes mistrust and quarrels. As a result, the deceiver becomes lonely, loses prospects for career and personal development, and romantic relationships. Many people with a similar problem refuse to acknowledge it. However, those who do this are able to objectively assess themselves and correct the situation. With pathological lies, medication is not carried out, except in cases of a combination of this trait with mental illness. Conversations withpsychotherapists help a person cope with difficulties and realize themselves in society.
