Unlike telling the occasional white lie to avoid hurting someone’s feelings or getting in trouble, a pathological liar seems to lie for no apparent reason.
Pathological lying is a persistent, compulsive tendency to tell lies out of proportion to any apparent advantage that can be achieved. This often occurs among people with alcohol dependence or brain damage, but it is most common among individuals with antisocial personality disorder, who in some cases do not seem to understand the nature of a falsehood, according to American Psychological Association (APA), https://dictionary.apa.org/pathological-lying
German physician (Dr. Delbruck) first described the concept of pathological lying after an extensive examination of lies told by five of his patients. He concluded that these lies were so abnormal and out of proportion that they deserved a special category, which he described as pseudologia phantastica.
Some psychiatrists believed that psychopathic personality was responsible for pseudologia fantastica. An abnormality in hormone-cortisol ratio may play a role in pathological lying.
Pathological lying has been compared with the “pseudolying” observed in children. Children’s use of fantasy to deny reality is said to be an important aspect of self‐development and self‐protection, but when this persists into adulthood, it becomes pathological. It has been proposed that the pathological liar’s ego is fixated at the childhood level.
Psychiatrists wondered if the pathological liar recognizes her or his story as false or believes it is real. Some believed that they do believe, some believe that they are lying willingly. There is a question how they function pretty well regarding all other aspects of their life.
Some evidence from 2007 suggests that issues affecting the central nervous system may predispose someone to pathological lying. A 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. The results also indicated that self-interest seems to fuel dishonesty. 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 stories they tell are usually dramatic, complicated, and detailed. Pathological liars are great storytellers. Their lies tend to be very detailed and colorful. Even though obviously over-the-top, the pathological liar may be very convincing. Pathological liars also tend to be natural performers. They’re eloquent and know how to engage with others when speaking. They’re creative and original, and quick thinkers who don’t usually show common signs of lying. When asked questions, they may speak a lot without ever being specific or answering the question.
Most people lie at one time or another. We tell an average of 1.65 lies every day. Most of these lies are what are considered “white lies.”
I assume that they do not speak about the same phenomenon. Pathological lying, pseudologia fantastica, mythomania and morbid lying are generally used interchangeably. There are those who pathologically lie and they know they are lying and there are those who are not quite aware of being liars, because it is their reality at that moment. People who are not aware of it all are mentally ill people and they cannot function well.