Signs he’s a serial liar
FACT is, we’re all guilty of lying at some point or another in our lives…there are no two ways about it. But there are indeed many people who are not merely guilty of occasional fibs; they are habitual, chronic, compulsive liars. But how do you spot a serial liar?
Sex therapist Dr Sidney McGill says that the telltale signs of a serial liar can at first be difficult to spot, but as time progresses and you begin to share the same space, familial and friendship circles, it gets easier.
Here are some of these signs in relation to men:
His stories are inconsistent
It’s not a one-off thing like forgetting to pay the electricity bill then scurrying the next day to get it done out of fear that you will have an argument again about how unreliable he is. Instead, there are general inconsistencies in his stories, past and present. This happens so regularly that you even start wondering if he has short-term memory loss.
His stories don’t square with those of mutual friends
Not only are his stories always changing, but they are almost always significantly different from those of his friends. He will go as far as to always try to make himself the hero, always creating drama, and making up stories about other people or friends that no other friend even remembers.
He has a secret addiction, and even when you catch him in the act he denies it
People become serial liars when they constantly try to conceal their secrets or addictions. They will spend so much time hiding their drinking, gambling or other bad habits that they’ll begin to lie about everything else, since these addictions will often affect other areas of their lives such as family time and finances, and they will need to create stories to cover up.
He’s nervous when you bring up old stories
He looks uncomfortable — perhaps sweating or shaking a leg, or he might claim he isn’t in the mood to talk about it. Or he retells the story at a different pace. He wants to make sure that he remembers exactly what he told you originally. Sometimes even as you pose questions, he asks you to repeat so that he will have more time to invent lies.
He habitually overreacts when the truth comes out
He is hysterical; he gets defensive and angry when he is caught in his lies and it doesn’t matter how much evidence you have. He will also activate the blame-game mode or have big meltdowns trying to convince you that he was being truthful. Sometimes he will even try to seek revenge, not only against you, but against whoever pointed you in the direction of the truth.
His stories are unbelievable
He has tons of jaw-dropping stories but no battle wounds to match. Sometimes the events in the stories seem almost impossible, pointless, or the characters in the plot are either living somewhere usually far away, too young to remember, or dead.
He also avoids eye contact with you when he is trying to explain himself, or makes every effort to stare at you while giving his story.
The texts on his phone do not square with his explanations
When this happens repeatedly over time, you may want to consider other tales that he has shared with you.
