Bullshitters- who do you think you're kidding?

[TooManyAnimals94]

Genuinely confused by this phenomenon. You know the people I'm talking about. They make stuff up that is obviously completely untrue and just expect you to nod along. If you point out their bullshit they backtrack at a billion miles an hour and make up a new story?!
Thread prompted by someone I have to work with sometimes and I left work today with full on bite marks in my tongue so I didn't tell her what I think of her and cause a whole scene.
As an example. I brought in scones for us at tea break. She tells this hugely dramatic story about how she's allergic to cream and she nearly died from having a hot chocolate with cream on 🙄
So, even though I found this story highly unlikely, I made sure we had separate knives for jam and cream. Me being messy, I managed to get cream on the jam knife so I was like wait! Don't use that, I'll get a fresh one. So she says 'Oh, just a bit on the knife is fine, don't worry'.

WHAT? YOU LITERALLY JUST SAID THE TINY AMOUNT OF CREAM ON A HOT CHOCOLATE NEARLY KILLED YOU??

Now I've read that back it seems like I'm being dramatic but it's just constant from the minute she gets there till she leaves, just constant full on lying and elaborate fantasies.

So if you know one (or you are one) why do they do it?

I knew a woman like that. She was in my friendship group and it was infuriating listening to her bullshit. she told a group of people she was the director of a company when she was nothing of the sort. And said it in front of people who knew she was a PA!!

I've known a few blatant bullshitters. People who exaggerate massively or just outright lies. Not an attractive trait really. It guess it could be for attention or to evade responsibility. I just don't see the point in it. Must take an awful lot of energy for them. My view is take me or leave me as I am. I'm not going to make shit up to gain attention or so people like me. It just a waste of time. Liars always trip themselves up

I have a friend who for the past 2 years has told me she's being investigated for cancer. Nothing she says adds up. I know people who have cancer and they tell me she's lying. Apparently she found a breast lump 2 years ago and has had scans and a biopsy, she keeps going for appointments but they don't know if its cancer or not. Then she had skin cancer that was treated with an operation, I said I'm so glad you're doing well and she said well actually I've probably got breast cancer. I hate to doubt people but she's lied about other things in the past and when I ask questions she changes the subject.

Yeah, I k ow someone who needed multiple surgeries, her child needed multiple surgeries, she was about to be evicted, never had money for food... no surgeries ever took place, always had food, still lives in the same house some years after these so called threats of eviction.

Hate bullshitters.

You're being absolutely ridiculous by being bothered by this. Just live your life and don't worry about her.

I wonder why though? I know a compulsive liar. She swears blind all sorts of things are true, when a quick google search will show she is wrong. She just can't help herself.

Because you get socially rewarded with attention and reactions for telling exciting stories.
No one is going to reward you for saying 'I don't like cream', but a dramatic tale of near death makes you special for a moment.
We learn it as children when our parents are far more interested in us when we've had an accident in the playground or won the swimming race than they are when we just played with Sarah as usual at lunch time.

Ask Mr Depp about his ex wife!

😂😂

Had a bloke like this where i used to work. Very briefly. among the various hobbies we collectively had were-amatuer violinist-he had been in the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra-one guy bumbled about at weekends with the Territorial Army-he had been in the SAS. Another chap was keen on Martial arts-he was a fifth Dan in some obscure branch of Kung Fu. Whatever you had ever done, he had done it not only better but to world class level. Every tea break with this guy was a festival of eye rolling. Strange as he didnt otherwise come across as bonkers, but deluded does not even come close.

"You're being absolutely ridiculous by being bothered by this. Just live your life and don't worry about her."

But people like this are effectively forcing you to give them special treatment. If they tell you they've got an allergy then even when you are 99% sure they're bullshitting, you can't take the chance and have to make sure there is no cross contamination etc. The people that lie about cancer etc you cant just say nothing, you have to kind of give them the benefit of the doubt and be supportive when its draining in case it's true etc etc

I genuinely find it hard to do my job when she constantly talks at me about things that aren't true. Luckily she's a freelancer who mainly covers illness and holiday so I don't see her often but I've done today and I know she's in tomorrow and I'm just dreading it.
It also makes her untrustworthy. I don't like leaving her to do things alone because if something went wrong she would probably lie and cover it up.

I work with someone who has always done this and that whatever the conversation.

I think now at the grand old age of early 40's he sued 25 government bodies, been to court 150 million times and had about 35 jobs in 30 different sectors.

I used to work with someone like this. I think he must have some kind of personality disorder . Some of the stories were so outrageously unbelievable and very easy to check that they couldn't possibly be true. He was a grown man but behaved like a teenage lad trying impress his mates. When called out on his lies he would become very defensive and start blustering.
I haven't seen him for a few years but as far as I am aware he hasn't changed

Worked with someone who said he had Obama and Michelle over for tea, they just plonked down their helicopter in his garden, had tea and flew off again...

It’s very common for people with ADHD to lie in this manner. It’s a sort of not being able to suppress the ‘wouldn’t it be fabulous if it HAD happened like that ‘ impulse we all have and learn to keep a lid on, and not knowing what’s NT and trying to emulate it poorly to mask ADHD.

it’s still annoying. You are understandably irked, but what can you do?

I have literally no patience for this whatsoever. YANBU. Attention seeking nobheads.

Our neighbour says stuff we know isn't true, completely shamelessly. Related to his job, if he did what he said, he'd get not only sacked but investigated by the police too, and he just glibly tells us rubbish. Unless he's completely stupid, he must know we know it's all bs, too, which is really weird.

I knew a girl like this. Was forever lying. I am the sort of person who will just take what you say as fact because I don't understand lying. She told me her sister had died in a serious road traffic accident. She never even had a sister it turns out but I never questioned it or mentioned the sister to her mum or anything so as not to upset her!

i know a compulsive liar.

One if the best lies is that he won the lottery and is a multi millionaire but he keeps his low paid job and 1 bed flat as he doesn’t want everyone knowing.

In some ways it’s frustrating or sometimes funny but I’ve started feeling a bit sad for him as I wonder if it’s his way to escape reality.

She told me her sister had died in a serious road traffic accident. She never even had a sister it turns out

WTAF!!

🤷‍♀️ They are just acting out, wanting attention, or living a sort of fantasy life because they are bored, or fighting against feelings of inadequacy, or the idea that you always have to be performing or people will get bored with you. I’m sure it all stems from some kind of miserable children.

Can you just ignore her?