![]() ![]() And the avoidant liar who drunkenly spills red wine on the white carpet blames it on the dog.Īvoidant liars are frustrating because they often don’t say what they mean you can never be sure if you’re getting the truth, a half truth, or a made-up excuse. ![]() Or the avoidant liar who oversleeps and is late to work tells their boss they got a flat tire. Instead of being straightforward, they make excuses or dance around the truth.įor example, the avoidant liar who opts out of a family dinner because they can’t stand their mother-in-law pleads a migraine. ![]() It could be that the avoidant liar is evading conflict or doesn’t want to complete a particular task. They strive to avoid anything they find unpleasant instead of being honest, they offer partial truths or deflect. Instead of being straightforward, they make excuses or dance around the truth. Their secret could be as benign as a childhood stutter… or it could be devastating and unspeakable, such as carrying on a secret love affair with your best friend or a past as a child sexual molester. You’ll never know what they keep hidden and therefore, you’ll never (fully) know who they are. This type of liar may posses dark secrets that would shake you to the core if revealed. The danger lies in who or what they choose to protect. They may protect your secrets as well, making them a loyal friend or spouse. They have no moral objections to lying as long as it serves their purpose. They’ll go to any length to protect a secret, be it the murder of their lover’s wife or a demotion at work. This type of liar is at times dangerous, but can also be perceived as noble it all depends on what (or who) they’re protecting. (Does she think you’re witty? Or does she like free dinner?) The manipulative liar is not malicious, but they can still cause harm. ![]() Like the pathological liar, you won’t know where you stand with the manipulative liar. They often use flattery or say what they think you want to hear in order to get a promotion, make a sale, get elected… or get in your pants. They have an end goal and will do or say whatever it takes to achieve it. The only reason they’re not ranked higher than the pathological liar is that by possessing awareness, they at least have the capacity to change. They fib to get a reaction and then say (in a mean-spirited way), “I was just f-ing with you!” Sometimes, the intentional liar poses as a jokester, but they’re malicious and cruel. Sometimes, the intentional liar poses as a jokester, but they’re malicious and cruel. The intentional liar is the high school quarterback who asks the least popular girl to prom… and then tells her it was just a prank – in front of all his friends. While the intentional liar is similar to the pathological liar in some ways, they differ in that they’re fully aware of their untruths. It makes them feel powerful and in control. They lie for the fun of it – for the sake of entertainment. This type of liar enjoys pushing your buttons. The pathological liar, providing they have other redeeming qualities, is a suitable acquaintance, but never a loyal friend, partner, or spouse. The pathological liar isn’t necessarily dangerous or cruel, but they’ll never be someone you can trust. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), repeated lying is a criterion for diagnosing antisocial personality disorder (formerly known as sociopathy or psychopathy). What I consider pathological lying is what others may refer to as sociopathic. Due to this, it’s impossible to have an authentic relationship with the pathological liar their reality shifts on a whim. They don’t know when they’re lying and they’re incapable of being honest with not only others, but with themselves. This person lies constantly, for any reason, or for no reason at all. In this article, I describe the 8 types of liars I’ve encountered, both as a professional counselor and in my personal life. The different types of liars can be categorized as ranging on a spectrum from pathological (the very worst type of liar) on one end, to tactful (the least harmful type of liar) on the opposite end (while taking into consideration, of course, the various reasons people lie.) the white liar… all different types of liars. And it is… kinda – for example, there’s the sociopathic liar vs. This led to a Google search (“types of liars”) to see if it’s a thing. I find the psychology of lying fascinating. So, while browsing research devoted solely to falsehoods (on which I’ll write a future post), I started to reflect on the different types of liars I’ve met throughout the years. ![]()
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