“Liar, liar, pants on fire,
Your nose is longer than a telephone wire”
Written on a napkin and picked up by the garage band, the Castaways, in 1965, Liar Liar was their first and only hit single. As we have come to realize, there are all sorts of liars. There are liars by omission and those who are compulsive, narcissistic, pathological, and sociopathic. Their lies come in all shapes and sizes as do the cowards who tell them.
What happens to a human’s brain when we tell a lie? Studies have shown that the amygdala, the part of the brain that is associated with emotion, is stimulated when someone tells a lie for personal gain. And each time a lie is told, the amygdala becomes less responsive. As a result, the ability to show empathy and compassion decreases as well. Not only can humans deceive others with their lies but they can begin to deceive themselves and convince themselves of untruths. The psychology of dishonesty, be it lying children, adults, or politicians, stems from a deep primitive mechanism for ego self-preservation, both physically and mentally.
When speaking of lies, all roads seem to lead to Donnie Trump. You would think he was raised by a pack of wolves to believe everyone else lies except him. He is a real salesperson creating a problem to be solved and only by him. A real genius? No, a real manipulating sociopath living a life of lies. A case of a pseudologue – a compulsive liar.
One thing is sure, liars are full of deceit and their intent is to hurt their victims. Studies have shown that humans are very vulnerable to falsehoods, particularly if lies are told repeatedly and are believed to be true. Gaslighting it is called.
Lacking any insight into himself, Trump, coupled by a need to protect his ego and his disgusting need for others approval has led him to a life of lies, deceit, and crime. For him, this is a slippery slope with no return because his only salvation would have been to not tell the first lie. April 4th is surely his day!
Liar Liar, pants on fire…how do you stop a compulsive liar? You can’t!
