This behavior can be part of a personality disorder such as antisocial, narcissistic, and histrionic. Other conditions, such as borderline personality disorder, may also lead to frequent lies, but these aren't considered pathological. Also, some people simply lie pathologically but have no other conditions.
Lying can be a symptom of some mental health conditions according to a 2021 review, including borderline personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder. People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may lie to mask compulsions or stop friends and family from worrying about their behaviors.
Tightened jaw and forehead
Liars also tend to tense up when they're not being truthful, and this can include tightening the jaw and forehead. Both are connected to the "mental effort and stress" associated with telling a lie, according to Wenner.
When people lie and they are confronted with evidence that contradicts those lies, they may change their story or deny the truth altogether. They may also try to manipulate others to maintain their false story. Blaming others for their lies. They may try to deflect blame or shift responsibility onto others.
Look for flared nostrils, lip biting, rapid blinking or sweating. These changes in facial activity signify an increase in brain activity as a lie begins. Some people will get a slight flush to their face when they are lying, so look for blushed cheeks as anxiety may set in.
Skipping contractions: "I did not do it."
Instead of saying "I didn't do it," they'll say "I did not do it." Or they'll say "I cannot remember" instead of "I can't remember." They're basically overselling their lie by trying to sound more powerful and less refutable.
A narcissistic liar is a person who lies to get what they want. They are often charming and persuasive. But their primary goal is always self-promotion. They want to present themselves in a certain light and believe they can get away with it.
So if you're wondering whether compulsive lying is genetic, the short answer is that it can be. However, it's important to remember that not all compulsive liars have a genetic component to their disorder, and there are other factors that can contribute to compulsive lying as well.
Lying Pathologically
People who lie pathologically often tell lies about things that don't matter, for no apparent reason. They may do it unconsciously and may not even realize they're lying in the moment, although they can often tell afterward.
The five traits are openness to experience, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism ([link]). A helpful way to remember the traits is by using the mnemonic OCEAN. In the Five Factor Model, each person has each trait, but they occur along a spectrum.
The three emotions most frequently experienced by people when they are lying are fear, guilt, and somewhat surprisingly, delight.
If they feel that someone closes in on their lies and raises questions, liars tend to get angry and defensive. Even if no one is outright accusing them, they have an overblown reaction due to their fear of being caught. It also acts as a distraction and helps take the spotlight off their lies.
Lying has obvious advantages, in that it exploits others and helps get you ahead of the game. But if you want to prevent being exploited, you need to learn to detect lies. There are three rules to catch a liar: Keep them talking; listen to their feelings; keep them busy.
Verbal Cues
Liars take longer to start answering questions than truth-tellers–but when they have time to plan, liars actually start their answers more quickly than truth-tellers. Liars' answers sound more discrepant and ambivalent, the structure of their stories is less logical, and their stories sound less plausible.
How To Tell When Someone's Lying. The direction of their eyes: A 2012 study published in Plos One debunked the myth people look to the left when lying. A study by the University of Michigan found when participants lied, they maintained eye contact 70% of the time.
As a result, liars often reduce the number of times that they say words such as “I,” “me,” and “mine,” and use “him” and “her” rather than people's names. Finally, is increased evasiveness, as liars tend to avoid answering the question completely, perhaps by switching topics or by asking a question of their own.
Itching and fidgeting: Rocking the body back and forth, cocking the head to the side or shuffling the feet can also be signs of deception, says Glass, who completed a post-doctoral fellowship at UCLA focusing on Psychology and Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication.
These cues might range from speech cues such as hesitations, speech disturbances, and changes in the pitch or rate of speech, to nonverbal cues such as blinking and hand gestures (DePaulo et al., 2003; Sporer & Schwandt, 2006).
Liars are often afraid of being caught, so they may express fear through small movements, like raising their eyebrows or wrinkling their forehead.