Can you identify a mythomaniac? According to Wikipedia, the online dictionary, “Mythomania is a condition involving compulsive lying by a person with no obvious motivation. The affected person may believe their lies to be truth, and may have to create elaborate myths to reconcile them with other facts”.

Mythomania is also linked to the pathological liar, described as “someone who often embellishes his or her own stories in a way he or she believes will impress people. It may be that a pathological liar is different from a normal liar in that a pathological liar believes the lie he or she is telling to be true – at least in public, and is ‘playing’ the role. It could also be that pathological liars know precisely what they are doing”. 

The difference between a pathological liar and a compulsive liar is explained in an article found on the website www.truthaboutdeception.com. It says: “A pathological liar is usually defined as someone who lies incessantly to get their way and does so with little concern for others. Pathological lying is often viewed as [a] coping mechanism developed in early childhood and it is often associated with some other type of mental disorder. A pathological liar is often goal-oriented (i.e., lying is focused-it is done to get one’s way). Pathological liars have little regard or respect for the rights and feelings of others…”

A compulsive liar is described as “someone who lies out of habit. Lying is their normal and reflexive way of responding to questions. Compulsive liars bend the truth about everything, large and small…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.” Compulsive liars are often referred to as Habitual Liar or Chronic Liar.

An article on Pathological Liars at www.HealthyPlace.com helps people to understand this condition and to be able to spot pathological liars when you come across them. It is acknowledged that “everyone lies sometimes” and “there are many reasons to lie” and that’s why in court people are asked “to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” But if people don’t do that, we can only hope that the jury and judge or magistrate will sniff out fact from fiction. Perhaps it’s a good time to invest in lie detectors in our court system, if we haven’t already done so, to encourage truth-challenged witnesses to come with it, plain and simple.

It is further observed that “sometimes pathological lying appears to be related to physical causes such as problems in the brain. Other times they appear to be related to low self-esteem [and] good diagnosis and treatment is needed.”

Why Honesty is important

The importance of honesty can never be over-emphasized because it is the basis for truth. The truth may or may not set you free in the physical sense, but I believe it does in the spiritual sense. While no one is perfect to the point of not telling a little lie here or there for variety, a serious problem with lying can be dangerous. It can damage the reputation of others, and it can damage the liar’s credibility. 

It’s a responsibility of parents, teachers, employers, and every adult individual to curb the dangers of lying before it becomes problematic. Children can develop the tendency to lie because they don’t know better. “Children with good imaginations often take longer to learn what a lie really is. It is important to work with children to teach them about fantasy and reality, instead of punishing them for these kinds of beliefs”, says the article on Pathological Liars at HealthyPlace.com. It also says that “Some people lie in conducting business and in their personal lives. Most adults are aware of when they lie.”

Myths and fabrications have their place in the world of entertainment; in books, movies, videogames, etc.. But in everyday life, they can be harmful to self and others, particularly when done with malicious intent. It takes moral courage and discipline to be uncompromising with the facts of a matter. Often we have the option of silence, rather than be guilty of outright lies. Sometimes we feel hopeless in telling the truth because it can be stranger than fiction. It’s not only a responsibility to speak truth, but also to discern truth when it is told.

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