Pathological Liar
someone who lies constantly only for attention. they lie about the most simple things. exaggerates the situation to the point of fiction. is very nutty, and does need mental help.
Is your husband or wife, boyfriend or girlfriend a compulsive/pathological liar or a sociopath?
Or are you dealing with a child that lies[->0]?
To begin with, it may help to understand the difference between a pathological or compulsive liar and a sociopath (see, types of liars[->1]).
Ultimately, making this type of distinction may not be that useful. Because in either case, the outcome is typically the same: dealing with a compulsive or pathological liar is very difficult to do. And unfortunately, sociopaths cannot be changed (see, lovefraud[->2]).
A compulsive liar will resort to telling lies, regardless of the situation. Again, everyone lies from time to time (see, when lovers lie[->3]), but for a compulsive liar, telling lies is routine. It becomes a habit - a way of life.
Simply put, for a compulsive liar, lying becomes second nature.
Not only do compulsive liars bend the truth about issues large and small, they take comfort in it. Lying feels right to a compulsive liar. Telling the truth, on the other hand, is difficult and uncomfortable.
And like any behavior which provides comfort and an escape from discomfort (i.e., alcohol, drugs, sex), lying can become addictive and hard to stop. For the compulsive liar, lying feels safe and this fuels the desire to lie even more.
Making matters even more complicated, compulsive lying is often a symptom of a much larger personality disorder, which only makes the problem more difficult to resolve (see, narcissistic personality disorder and borderline personality disorder[->4]).
Unfortunately, compulsive lying is hard for the person involved to see, but it hurts those who are around it. Compulsive lying, if not addressed, can easily ruin a relationship (for example, see why does he need to lie[->5]).
Compulsive lying can be dealt
Is your husband or wife, boyfriend or girlfriend a compulsive/pathological liar or a sociopath?
Or are you dealing with a child that lies[->0]?
To begin with, it may help to understand the difference between a pathological or compulsive liar and a sociopath (see, types of liars[->1]).
Ultimately, making this type of distinction may not be that useful. Because in either case, the outcome is typically the same: dealing with a compulsive or pathological liar is very difficult to do. And unfortunately, sociopaths cannot be changed (see, lovefraud[->2]).
A compulsive liar will resort to telling lies, regardless of the situation. Again, everyone lies from time to time (see, when lovers lie[->3]), but for a compulsive liar, telling lies is routine. It becomes a habit - a way of life.
Simply put, for a compulsive liar, lying becomes second nature.
Not only do compulsive liars bend the truth about issues large and small, they take comfort in it. Lying feels right to a compulsive liar. Telling the truth, on the other hand, is difficult and uncomfortable.
And like any behavior which provides comfort and an escape from discomfort (i.e., alcohol, drugs, sex), lying can become addictive and hard to stop. For the compulsive liar, lying feels safe and this fuels the desire to lie even more.
Making matters even more complicated, compulsive lying is often a symptom of a much larger personality disorder, which only makes the problem more difficult to resolve (see, narcissistic personality disorder and borderline personality disorder[->4]).
Unfortunately, compulsive lying is hard for the person involved to see, but it hurts those who are around it. Compulsive lying, if not addressed, can easily ruin a relationship (for example, see why does he need to lie[->5]).
Compulsive lying can be dealt