Compulsive liars are people who keep lying out of habit. Lying becomes their normal and reflexive way to react to any questions asked to them. Compulsive liars find comfort and protection under their lies and take shelter under their small world of lies to do away with whatever they do and say. Compulsive liars are more comfortable when they lie, hence, you will find them feeling uneasy whenever they fall in a situation in which they need to speak out the truth. A compulsive liar is different from a pathological liar. While the former gets into the habit of lying and lies all the time, the latter is cunning and manipulative in nature and lie to hide his/her faults or mistakes. Pathological liars are insensitive and lie to achieve their goals, whereas compulsive liars lie as a reflex reaction to any situation. Compulsive liars are habitual and chronic fibbers. A type of an obsessive compulsive personality disorder, lying becomes a part of their normal regular routine. Lying to such people is an addiction, just like smoking and drug abuse. The symptoms of a compulsive liar develop in early childhood. However, this habit can be changed with some care and treatment. This article provides you with some signs and symptoms of a compulsive liar.
Signs & Symptoms Of A Compulsive Liar
- A compulsive liar will face the problem of low self-esteem. He/she will suffer from lack of confidence and can do nothing better than framing stories. If asked to give an opinion about something, you will find him/her only embellish stories.
- A compulsive liar always seeks for some kind of attention. The low confidence levels and lack of self worth are the reasons as to why such people always crave for attention and company. They will do and say anything without caring about the authenticity of what they do or say, to gain the focus of a group.
- Liars of such kind are known for making up stories. Compulsive liars master the skill of storytelling and carve out a situation that looks and sounds so realistic that people are forced to believe. Compulsive liars can also frame stories to corroborate their selfish interests as well.
- Compulsive liars are excellent in covering up their lies. If you tend to pin them down with some evidence, they will deny the stakes against them by framing another story. They can even deny the accusation by putting the blame on another person or by holding the situation responsible for their action.
- You can catch hold of a compulsive liar by just making him/her speak. Since the person fibs all the time, chances are that he/she connects one story to the other. Also, such people have a hard time keeping their stories straight.
- Coming to nonverbal signs, not much can be detected by the eyes of a compulsive liar, as most often the person looks straight into the eyes at the time of lying. However, for a keen observer, finding a clue cannot be a difficult task. Crossed arms are a sign of being defensive, while constant blinking is another the sign of lying. However, it is advised to be very careful at the time of making assumptions, as cultural differences can affect the way people act and react while talking.
- Compulsive liars are the most defensive people you can find anywhere. They will do something and when caught or questioned, they will become defensive and will always have a different story to narrate. You will notice them changing the topic whenever questioned about a particular action.
- Usually drug addicts, alcoholics and gamblers, who are into similar activities that cause them trouble, may exhibit compulsive liar disorder. They tend to keep lying to help themselves come out of a situation.