Why do people lie?

[Locknar]

I think there may also be a fourth category - The Ends Justify The Means. Consider the CT guys as an example. This arises out of their fundamental beliefs, part of which is, "Everyone who disagrees with us is a paid shill". If they believe their opponents are lying, they may lie in return to "level the playing field." If they don't get caught, they're one up, and if they do get caught, they're just back where they started - with no one believing a word they say.

When you consider what they actually profess to believe - that they are working against a vast, evil plot to enslave humanity, say - a few lies here and there really don't look all that bad. Once they've rationalized those first few lies, the rest follow along in an attempt to shore up their failing narrative.

Well...that is what I was trying to say using Rosie as an example; though do you think it is a case of knowingly lying...or a case of flat out blind hatred/distrust that just alters how they interpret information?

I mean, if the sky opened up and God himself says “it was not a Government cover-up”, folks like Rosie would hold fast and simply say God had been corrupted.

Of course….what would happen is many of going “dang it! We were wrong on the whole God thing!” but that’s another story all together.

 

[kellyb]

My guess would be that they feel like you should take them seriously, and it's something like credentials that's keeping them down. So they might rationalize that the fib levels the playing field. They also might entertain the idea that they were slighted by life, and "deserve" for the lie to be the truth.
It's a bit like the shoplifters who steal from WalMart and tell themselves "But WalMart is rich, and a bit evil, and I sort of need this, so it's not wrong."

 

[Miss Anthrope]

Some people have personality disorders. Lying is part of the package for many of them.

I can't tell you how many people I've met who have completely invented their own personal history so it appears they've been through so much drama. Over the years I've known a handful of women who, when having a bad period, tell stories of ovarian cancer or miscarriage. They always miscarry twins...ironically.

 

[articulett]

Liars often pass on more of their genes as one might imagine (e.g. "I've had a vasectomy...)

More on the topic:

http://www.sciammind.com/article.cfm?articleID=0007B7A0-49D6-128A-89D683414B7F0000

http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/sci_update.cfm?DocID=244

We lie to ourselves because it makes us feel right and happily deluded... we lie to others to improve our successes and to stay out of trouble. The most successful people tend to be better liars. I have an inner flinch mechanisms that make me feel very uncomfortable with lying... even accidental lying or saving face lying or not hurting peoples feelings lying... but I think this makes me too trusting in ways... I think I assume others are like me... I also think that a lot of times people don't realize when they are lying to themselves...

When someone lies about one thing... I tend to lose all trust for them... I can't help it... If they lie about little things, how can I tell they aren't lying about big things. That's why evidence is so important to me-- and distinguishing facts from opinions, beliefs, mottos, ideals, gobbledy gook, stories, anecdote and everything else. I feel better with facts.

 

[-Fran-]

In a way, people who lie about things that they think will make them look better, are not completely illogical. Many people in the world DO admire and idolize rich people for example. So it's not too strange that someone who is very insecure would lie about being rich in an effort to get that admiration, and that they think that if they succeed in their lie people will also listen to their arguments. They are not totally wrong, many people do listen to people who have money(/power).

The big mistake they make is that they do not realize how easily seen through this sort of lying most of the times is, and then they really will not be respected at all, of course.

I don't think that this sort of liar really plans their lies with this reason in mind. I think it's more on a sub-conscious level. They notice all the shallow reasons to why people actually do get respect and attention from others, and they act from this. Beautiful people get respect for their beauty only, rich people for their money, upper class people for them being born in the right family, and so on...

What they fail to see when they lie on forums such as this, is that:

• they will almost always be found out, especially since it's often a spur of the moment lie, and they don't make it very believable.

• these reasons for respect are shallow, and not all people will, in fact, be dazzled by money and such.

• even if people believe you, it can not, in the long run, draw attention away from what you are actually saying. Sooner or later you have to argue for your opinions anyway.

 

[chiyo]

Insecurity. I think the magnitude of the lie is in an inverse relationship with just how much people think of themselves. Hate yourself---biggggggggg lie. Love yourself, seldom lie at all. I've found that most BS artists are just insecure bullies.

 

[Amapola]

It seems to me like it's a control thing. If you tell a big enough whopper everyone will be so astonished they won't say anything at all for a while..... in the meantime the liar gets attention, and dominates the conversation.

They usually forget about that part where everyone finds out it was a lie.

But when that happens they simply change the subject and tell yet another lie.

 

[Z]

It's not that people are lying to you, it's that you're not hearing them right.

 

[six7s]

...this raises the obvious question of why does making up things make people feel better about themselves?

Maybe a curious twist on the online 'role playing/fanatasy' games?

Online forums are a new medium, one that we are still experimenting with... and there are no real rules - the worst that can happen (in reality) is that the offenders IP address gets banned

Apology: I am a Catholic Priest and I perform exorcisms all the time. (lie)

This makes me think of the 'getting it off your chest' type benefit that can and does come from confession - even when the confessor doesn't believe in god, let alone the notion of divine intervention from a priest

The 'I know that you know that I know that etc etc that this is a lie/make believe' doesn't preclude benefits

I guess a similar 'blind acceptance' (perhaps mixed with 'anonymous inner-city living' and/or probably a few other factors) plays a significant role in the $ucce$$ of quack psychiatrists/analysts who (at least in the movies) do little more than nod and blame everything on a mother/dead cat/whatever...

Does the stereotype have any basis in reality?

Consider the CT guys as an example. This arises out of their fundamental beliefs, part of which is, "Everyone who disagrees with us is a paid shill". If they believe their opponents are lying, they may lie in return to "level the playing field."

This makes me wonder why the CT guys want/need to believe their patently distorted view of the world that is ridiculously out of whack with reality

Is it simply unbridled 'teen angst/rebellion' as per mindless rejection of any/all views held by 'authority' figures?

In my teens, I used to hitch-hike a lot and the opening gambit from the drivers was almost invariably "So, what do you do?".

After what felt like the zillionth time, I was well and truly bored telling the truth to people who knew that I knew that they knew etc we would know each other for a strictly limited time

So I began tailoring my responses to suit (or clash with!) what they wanted/expected to hear

It was fun... for a while...

Then I bought a fishing rod - and really learned how to lie!

 

[Hokulele]

In some cases, inventing a persona or history can be a defense against rejection. When faced with hostility, particularly in an anonymous situation such as an Internet forum, the liar can take some comfort in the fact that it isn't their real self that is getting shredded. The more lies they tell, the more distance they can put between themselves and the shredding. It is sort of a psychological version of a strawman argument in reverse.