They usually portray themselves as the hero or victimĪlong with being made the hero or victim in their stories, pathological liars tend to tell lies that seem to be geared at gaining admiration, sympathy, or acceptance by others. Their lies tend to be very detailed and colorful.Įven though obviously over-the-top, the pathological liar may be very convincing. Pathological liars are great storytellers. The stories they tell are usually dramatic, complicated, and detailed While a person might lie to avoid an uncomfortable situation, such as embarrassment or getting in trouble, a pathological liar tells lies or stories that don’t have an objective benefit.įriends and family can find this especially frustrating because the person lying doesn’t stand to gain anything from their lies. The following are some of the scientifically recognized traits and characteristics of pathological liars. Though the study didn’t specifically look at pathological lying, it may give some insight into why pathological liars lie as much and as easily as they do. The results also indicated that self-interest seems to fuel dishonesty. Trauma or head injuries may also play a role in pathological lying, along with an abnormality in hormone-cortisol ratio.Ī 2016 study of what happens in the brain when you lie found that the more untruths a person tells, the easier and more frequent lying becomes. Some evidence from 2007 suggests that issues affecting the central nervous system may predispose someone to pathological lying.Ĭompulsive lying is also a known trait of some personality disorders, such as antisocial personality disorder. Some lies seem to be told in order to make the pathological liar appear the hero, or to gain acceptance or sympathy, while there’s seemingly nothing to be gained from other lies.

While there appears to be many possible causes for pathological lying, it’s not yet entirely understood why someone would lie this way. A pathological liar is someone who lies compulsively.

Types of liars pathological