Why Are People Compulsive Liars?

Compulsive adj. of having to do with, or resulting from compulsion(Webster's New World Dictionary [Webster's], 2002). Pathological adj. 1. of pathology; of or concerned with diseases 2. Due to or involving disease. 3. Governed by compulsion; compulsive [a pathological liar.] Liar n. a person who tells lies (Webster's, 2002).

Compulsive or pathological liars are people who tell lies constantly. Compulsive lying is not a diagnosed condition (Dr. Gail Saltz, 2004). They tell lies even when it would do them no good ("Why People Lie," 2003, p.8). Paul Ekman, A professor from University of California, San Francisco says that People who are compulsive liars tell lies for fun, not to get out of trouble like many others. He says lying is their drug it gives them adrenalin and makes them feel in control of the person they are lying to ("Why People Lie," 2003, p.8).

My hypothesis was that Compulsive / pathological lairs, lie because of emotional issues, neglect, or something that has happened to them in the past. The other reason why I choose this topic is because compulsive lying has played a huge part in my life. It has destroyed my family.

Why do people compulsive lie? There are many reasons why people compulsive lie says Jerald Jellison a professor at University of Southern California. One, they start lying they can't stop; it becomes second nature and habitual to them and most of the time they are not even aware that they are lying ("Why People Lie," 2003. p.8). Another, reason is that they must keep on lying in order to keep up other lies they have told.

An example of this is my father. I do not speak to my father anymore because he is a compulsive liar. His habit was the reason my parent got divorced, when I was four years old. His habit has got worse over the years. I remember many distinctive times as I was growing up when I had been lied to and then he would make me feel guilty for what he done to me and now I have realized that he had a problem and he has even not tried to improve after I have begged and pleaded with him many times. There is one time that especially sticks out in my head. When, I was about 12. He called me and told me he had sent my birthday present, which was already a week late. I waited and waited and he would call me and tell me "oh it will be at your house by 10:00am so it will be waiting for you after school. I would come home from school everyday and nothing would be there. He would call me and keep making excuses about how it would be there and he would pull the "do you not trust me" and pull a guilt trip on me. Finally after about two months of nothing but lies I gave up. I got NOTHING not even a card, I would have even been happy with a call on my birthday; but I got NOTHING just lie after lie of bull shit from my own father. To, this day his compulsive lying makes me nauseas.

In, October of 2005 a study at the University of California was released (University of Southern California, 2005). This study discovered that there were abnormalities within the human brain of a pathological liar. The Pre-frontal Cortex region of the brain is the area of the brain, which enables people to feel remorse or learn moral behavior but there is a structural difference in the area the brain among Pathological liars. 108 people were part of this study, they all did a series of 12 pathological tests and these test proved that there