What is the difference between a pathological liar and a compulsive liar?

Answer 1

Pathological liar is a non-clinical term for a person who intentionally provides untrue accounts, often not to hide or gain anything in particular.
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What is the Difference Between a Pathological Liar, a Compulsive Liar, a Chronic Liar, and a Habitual Liar?
First of all, the differences are not so clear. There is a lot of ambiguity with respect to making these types of distinctions.

But, with that said, here are some commonly mentioned differences or symptoms between compulsive and pathological lying.

Pathological Liar:
A pathological liar is usually defined as someone who lies incessantly to get their way and does so with little awareness. Pathological lying is often viewed as coping mechanism developed in early childhood and it is often associated with some other type of mental health disorder. A pathological liar is often goal-oriented (i.e., focused - tells lies to get his/her way). Pathological liars have little regard or respect for the rights and feelings of others. A pathological liar often comes across as being manipulative and cunning.

Compulsive Liar:

A compulsive liar is defined as someone who lies out of habit. Lying is their normal and reflexive way of responding to questions (see, examples of compulsive lying). Compulsive liars bend the truth about everything, large and small. For a compulsive liar, telling the truth is very awkward and uncomfortable, while lying feels right. Compulsive lying is usually thought to develop in early childhood, due to being placed in an environment where lying was necessary and routine. For the most part, compulsive liars are not overly manipulative and cunning (see, Pathological Liar), rather they simply lie out of habit - an automatic response that is hard to break and one that takes its toll on a relationship (see, Compulsive Lying).

The terms Habitual Liar and Chronic Liar are often used to refer to a Compulsive Liar.

Answer 2

A pathological liar is one that uses lies/deceit to get what they want with no regard to what their lie and the fall out behind it does to someone else. They are prone to lie or put the 'story the way they see it--ie wording things that mislead ', etc. A compulsive liar , while not necessarily to hurt anyone or just be a me me type---, tells untruths for different reasons.... being an accepted part of a crowdor fitting in with new crowd. They just can't help the 'itch' to embellish things to fit in better.

Answer 3

A pathological liar may not realize he/she is lying
A compulsive liar, know he/she is but continues to do so

Answer 4

Pathological liar is a non-clinical term for a person who intentionally provides untrue accounts, often not to hide or gain anything in particular. This is different from a person who lies, yet believes them, which is known as confabulation. Though "pathological liar" is not a clinical term

Answer 5

A pathological liar doesn't know they are lying and it physiological (nature) a compulsive liar knows they are lying but can't help it, they are psychologically driven (nurture).

Answer 6

Pathological liars believe their lies
compulsive are people who just continuously tell lies

Answer 7

Similar to the difference between Hillary Clinton and Barach Obamanation