While the average person may resort to innocent white lies just to protect someone’s feelings, the situation is very different for pathological liars. But while it may seem difficult at first to decipher the complex stories they make up, there are 10 popular phrases that pour from the subconscious of chronic liars and give them away instantly.
1. “Who could make this up?”
The lie they tell is so incredible that they position themselves as an innocent third party who is surprised by this story. They mislead you by forcing you to think, “No one would dare to make up something this big, so it’s true.”
2. “You never knew me…”
When they are caught in a lie, they immediately put the blame on you. They use an emotional deflection to make you feel suspicious, insecure, and wrong. The aim is to make you feel ashamed of yourself and stop questioning.
3. “I never said that!”
With this tactic, known as Gaslighting in modern psychology, they completely reject the past and experiences. They create deep confusion in your mind by making you doubt your memory for their own benefit.
4. “It’s not that big of a deal.”
According to a study published in the journal Advances in Cognitive Psychology; Continuing to lie causes serious energy loss and wear and tear for the brain. Liars try to avoid this mental fatigue and accountability by belittling their lies and trivializing the incident.
5. “I didn’t mean it”
It is the most innocent-looking port they take shelter in when they are cornered. A study in the journal Nature Neuroscience proves that the more a person lies, the more the brain becomes accustomed to it, making lying easier (making it a second nature instinct). Even if they are not malicious, they cannot back down anymore.
6. “I swear it really happened!”
They constantly exaggerate their stories to attract attention and feed their self-esteem. It is against the normal course of life for so many dramatic events to happen to a person; That’s why they constantly double down on “it really happened” to increase the credibility of the lie.
7. “You need to thank me.”
They constantly play into a “victimhood mentality” because they feel internal inadequacy and insecurity. They want to portray themselves as heroes and garner attention, pity and admiration. Yet a study in the British Journal of Social Psychology shows that this search for false approval undermines one’s own well-being over time.
8. “That’s exactly what I meant.”
They have told so many versions of the same story that after a while they become unable to keep track of their own lies. In that inevitable moment of contradiction when they are caught, they come out on top like olive oil, pretending that they have been advocating the same thing as you from the very beginning.
9. Staying extremely calm (when lying or getting caught)
This is not a sentence, but a behavioral statement. Professional liars display terrifying composure when caught, rather than the panic a normal person would display. Rolling your eyes or acting indifferent by saying “Yeah, whatever” are the biggest defense mechanisms.
10. “How can you question me?”
It is a tactic of getting on top by reversing the roles. Even at the slightest suspicion, they immediately become defensive and try to embarrass you. They discourage you from revealing the lie by making you feel guilty.
Pathological liars thrive on insecurity and inner emptiness. Rather than admit the truth and face their fraud, they choose to deepen their lies even further. However, as scientific research shows, a life algorithm based on lies destroys a person’s self-esteem in the long run and makes it impossible to establish healthy human relationships.
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