TOPIC

Compulsive Lying



Compulsive lying is a condition in which a person compulsively and habitually lies, often for no discernible personal gain or logical reason. Also known as mythomania, pathological lying, and pseudologia fantastica, this condition affects not only the person lying but also those around them, leading to disconnection and lack of trust, and frequently to more serious repercussions, such as fraud. Experienced therapists are key for recovery.

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08:50

The Science of Lying

Hank gets into the dirty details behind our lying ways - how such behavior evolved, how pathological liars are different from the rest of us, and how scientists are getting better at spotting lies in many situations.

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2012
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Lying: A Metaphorical Memoir

In this powerful and provocative new memoir, award-winning author Lauren Slater forces readers to redraw the boundary between what we know as fact and what we believe through the creation of our own personal fictions.

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Lauren Slater
2001
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What Is Pathological Lying?

Everyone lies. Over a one-week span, about 95 percent of people report telling at least one lie. However, some people tell a lot more than one. Some people tell lies with such regularity that dishonesty comes to be seen as a defining characteristic of their personality.

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Christian L. Hart
2020
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FindCenterThe more you defend a lie, the angrier you become.

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Mitch Albom
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02:16

6 Warning Signs to Determine If Your Teen Is a Compulsive Liar

Compulsive liars lie out of habit, not because it benefits them or they can get out of an awkward situation. Rather, they often lie in order to get attention, which makes them appear much better in everything (an obvious sign of low self-esteem).

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2017
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Dying to Be Ill: True Stories of Medical Deception

Most of us can recall a time when we pretended to be sick to reap the benefits that go along with illness. By playing sick, we gained sympathy, care, and attention, and were excused from our responsibilities.

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Marc D. Feldman, Gregory P. Yates
2018
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6 Subtle Characteristics of the Pathological Liar

Pathological lying (PL) has been defined by the Psychiatric Times as a “long history (maybe lifelong history) of frequent and repeated lying for which no apparent psychological motive or external benefit can be discerned.

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Tamara Hill
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FindCenterThe truth can scare you half to death, but it’s never as destructive as deception.

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Martha Beck
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06:50

Pathological Lying vs Normal Lying? How to Tell the Difference

Lying is defined as the deliberate attempt to get someone to believe something you know is not true. There are 3 types of lying: normal lying, prolific lying and pathological lying.

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2020
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Can’t. Just. Stop.: An Investigation of Compulsions

Using in-depth case studies to explore how we grapple with compulsion in ourselves and those we love, “Can’t. Just. Stop.” examines the science behind both mild and extreme compulsive behavior.

book
Sharon Begley
2018
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