It would be slightly ridiculous to brag about how you can do something that you actually can’t. Right? And yet, there are still people out there who have such deep self-esteem issues that they fabricate all of these fantastic details about their lives. But the moment you look closer at these pathological liars’ tall tales, that illusion starts to crack and eventually shatters.
This is what internet user u/throw_friescountry accidentally did to her new coworker, who bragged about knowing tons of different languages. The author was ecstatic because she actually did know how to speak them, so she tried interacting with her colleague in a different tongue. That’s when everything started falling apart for the braggart. Scroll down for the full story, an important update, a big dollop of secondhand embarrassment, and a reminder not to lie about your skills.
Liars don't like getting caught. Accidentally catching a pathological liar in the middle of a lie can lead to quite a bit of office drama
Image credits: Getty Images (not the actual photo)
That's what happened to one woman. She was excited to learn that her new coworker spoke the same foreign languages as she did. As it turns out, she was a fraud
Image credits: Vitaly Gariev (not the actual photo)
She later shared a few more thoughts in a handful of updates
Image source: throw_friescountry
Pathological liars can wreck their careers and personal relationships, but they often don't care about the consequences of their actions
Image credits: Getty Images (not the actual photo)
It’s incredibly likely that you know at least one person who likes to exaggerate everything. They tell very dramatic stories, brag about their accomplishments, and claim to be super duper awesome. When, in fact, their life might be mundane.
While these individuals might be entertaining, they’re also exhausting to be around. They’re untrustworthy and unreliable. Now imagine that this isn’t just someone you hang out with, but actually a person on your team at work.
Liars are unimaginably hard to work with. You’re unsure of their actual skills, they can overpromise and underdeliver, constantly look for excuses, and you’re constantly worried about having to manage them.
On top of that, on a very fundamental level, it’s deeply annoying to speak with someone who you know is outright making stuff up. You can’t create a genuine connection with someone like this. Relationships built on lies aren’t worth much.
The fact is that everyone lies to some extent, whether for gain, to avoid negative consequences, or to protect someone they love. But a tiny sliver of humankind are pathological liars, who lie not just for the sake of one goal or another, but also regardless of the reason. They don’t care about the consequences of their lies.
WebMD warns that pathological liars compulsively tell untruths that often are extensive and elaborate. These liars continue telling tall tales even when the consequences of their actions directly affect their lives, e.g., forcing them to lose their jobs or damaging their relationships.
Being lied to is an awful feeling. But the best tools in your arsenal are staying cool, directly calling out the lie, and no longer engaging with the person
Image credits: Vitaly Gariev (not the actual photo)
“It isn’t clear whether pathological liars understand that what they say isn’t true. Some people believe the things they say, even when those things are clearly false. Other pathological liars will admit that they've been lying only when their lies are proved false.”
Some pathological liars suffer from personality disorders (antisocial, narcissistic, histrionic, etc.), while others might have no other conditions at all. Meanwhile, individuals with borderline personality disorder might frequently lie, but not pathologically.
While there is no medical way to treat pathological lying, psychotherapy can help. But even then, it’s a massive challenge. The fact is that pathological liars might not want to address their behavior, and so, they might simply, well, lie to mental health specialists during therapy sessions.
Liars tend to tell long, dramatic, often contradictory stories, and include details that can’t be verified. If something sounds too intense and dramatic to be true, it probably isn’t.
The best way forward is not to engage with a person’s lies. Tell them, straight up, that you know they’re lying and don’t continue having the conversation. Don’t get angry, stay calm, and if you care about the person, suggest they get professional help.
Have you ever had to deal with a pathological liar, whether at work or in your personal life? How did you handle their nonsense? What do you personally think is the right way to deal with someone at work who keeps bragging? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Internet users rushed to share their thoughts about the workplace drama. Here's what they had to say
Image credits: Brooke Cagle (not the actual photo)
Later, the author shared an update about how the situation with her colleague escalated. Here's what she wrote
Image source: throw_friescountry
And here's how the internet reacted to the second chapter of the story. Many folks were glad for the follow-up
