What's the difference between a compulsive liar and liar?

Question

I know a liar. I'm not sure if the compulsive tag fits or not. "Compulsive" makes it sound like a person can't help the lying. Is that true? Is it a medical/psychological condition?

drshorty-Thanks, but it's actually not for me. Really. Though, from this post I can see how you might doubt me. : ) Unfortunately, I can't just drop the person I'm thinking of off at the Dr.'s for evaluation. And even if I did, there's that pesky confidentiality law. ; ) In other words, I wouldn't learn anything from that evaluation.

I think I've got a regular liar on my hands (but would need them evaluated to be sure--not likely). Thanks for all your contributions. Now for a vote ...

Answer 1

my understanding of a compulsive liar is a person who lies continually...and has to then lie to cover previous lies so on and so forth....lying to them comes naturally and by the end of it they dont even know what the truth is....

Answer 2

"Compulsive" means they feel they need to lie to fit in. So really they can't help it in a way because at some point it will become habit forming for them. I really hate liars and pick up on them pretty quickly.

When all someone does is make up ridiculous stories that involve no similar or any character traits in them you can really start to question. They usually tend to speak a bad novel or ridiculous drama that they get too much pleasure out of telling.

It's a psychological thing. Get this person a psychologist. They do tend to live in an imaginary world because they have to in a way. They can't except flaws, guilt or ownership of negative feelings. In making up stories you can be cool, you can be anything, even touch the sky. Or get pitty for a sob story.

It is a social habit to impress people or gain attention with your past commitments in life. Really they should be who they are and if no one accepts them then it's ok. People will reject you in this world and it doesn't make it right or justifiable.

But these kind of people spend so much time making stuff up for attention they never really establish a sense of self. They don't know who they are sometimes. So the imaginary world becomes the more real one. Reality is not only defined by our senses in current standing but, in our memory. So if all you can remember are lies that is really all you have.

I've bumped into a few people that seem very questionably a compulsive liar. Sometimes they lie for no reason it's just a habit for them. You have to get them to take ownership for their life. Take the good with the bad. When life is boring make it interesting. If no one finds it appealing or emotional than it's ok.

Sorry... the difference is that a compulsive liar lies because they feel they have to. A liar lies because they want to. The motives are pretty different in the two. But, they both do it for some sort of gain or protection.

Answer 3

i'm nonetheless searching diverse solutions. yet i'm wondering that a Compulsive Liar lies in basic terms to lie, can't help themselves. A Pathological Liar does this besides, yet in many cases with self serving purpose, no regret or guilt and cares little (if any) about the ramifications of their lies.

Answer 4

Liars loose track because their memories are not real, they are transparant as hell over time, unless of course you lie a little yourself then you have a greater difficulty to recognize what is true and you don't trust or believe what you hear anyway based on your own reliability.

It's a big waste of time look how many sit-coms spend most of 1/2 an hour, they start out with a lie him and haw about all the problems it caused and eventually the truth is revealed and everything gets all better again.

Thats the way it is in real life too except the movie is longer.

If you cannot be true to yourself, you cannot be true to others.

If you get clear enough, you will find the truth has many degrees levels or dimensions for example

mending is a work of love

Consider how many definitions each word has and how many out of that many are true.

Ob1 The truth has a certain ring to it.

Answer 5

Compulsive liars make a habit of lying, and do so for a variety of reasons. Mostly they're just pumping up themselves in the sight of others, because they are insecure about how others would really see them, "if they only knew". Everyone can "help the lying". Lying is a choice, especially when the liar is embellishing themselves to be more than what they really are. They have the power to tell the truth, but it makes them feel better to mislead and deceive. When confronting a compulsive liar, they often pile up even more lies, to cover their tracks. They rarely take responsibility, and try to put the blame on someone or on some situation.<*)))><

Answer 6

Yep. It's true. They CAN stop lying. They just won't because.....well.... I'm not really sure why. I've never had much use for lies or the liars that tell them. You would have to ask that libtard comedian Al Franken. He associates with liars a lot in the entertainment industry. They can't tell truth from fiction anyway. Isn't it horrible that so many are afflicted with liarism and exaggeritis?

Answer 7

Yes friend you are right. A compulsive liar would be one who cannot help lying and would therefore lie in each and every matter.As against that a mere liar would lie only after taking into consideration the facts and circumstances of every situation.I would also agree with you that being a compulsive liar is a psychological condition.

Answer 8

There is a person I know that has this Mental Illness. He is a compulsive liar.

This guy will tell you so much crap that you don't know what to believe half the time.
One time he came over to my house and said "hey Al lets go to Shoney's...Linda gave me some money I'm buying". I said no! I'm not hungry.

"Oh C'mon Al I don't want to go by myself at least you can order a hamburger or something and then I said alright I'll go".

When we got to Shoney's he ask me if I had $5.00 and for what I ask. He said Linda didn't give him enough money.
I said damn man,why did you ask me to come if you can't pay Sheesh, so I pulled out $5.00 and give it to him.

Then when we left Shoney's he wanted to buy Beer and pulled out a Twenty. I said I thought you said you didn't have any money, he said I don't this is for Linda. I knew bettter than that because Linda don't drink Beer.

He is a compulsive liar and what I have just typed really happened from a true known compulsive liar.

I finally gave up on him, he was a hopeless case.\

One night he comes over to my house. "Al I need to talk you will come along I need to talk to you because you understand me. Linda and I got in a fight,. I got Beer. ." So I said alright .

We went for a drive out in the Country and it was cold that night. He did have Beer its a miracle he didn't lie.

I said "Hey, does your gas gauge work?" He said no, but I filled it up today so I don't run out.

10 minutes later his Truck quits out 12 miles on a dark road. I said "What the F*** sup Man, ?"

He said I dont know I think the Truck quit
I told him no sh** Man were out here 12 miles from home. hell no, oh no hell no I'm not waking back Man.

He said I did fill it up today, Linda must of drove more than I thought..."OH Bul Sh*(* Man. Were stranded out here and its cold and I'm in shorts...Damn...Damn," I literally lost it, I was pisssed off.

I Made him walk out and go get help and I stayed right there in the truck. Just as he got out, a truck was coming and he flagged him down. A miracle...he had gas in the back of his truck one gallon. We got home./
I never went off with that guy a gain ever. He's a nut case]
Compulsive liar and idiot on top of that...damn it was rubbing off on me...Jessus..this guys insane I say to myself.

He is a friend of mine and do I like him because its not his fault. This is an illness that affects allot of people.

NOW If I told you I just made this up and its all a lie would you believe me???
Don't think about that. I just had to say that. Its all true.

Answer 9

A compulsive liar is a person that cannot distinguish between truth or lie. When they do tell a lie they themselves actually believe it to be truth. They can't help but lie.

Answer 10

Yes, it is a psychological condition. If you are worried, you can see a psychologist and have yourself evaluated.