What causes some people to be compulsive / pathological liars?

[Anon778833]

I was recently involved with a man who just didn’t seem able to stop lying about things that don’t make sense to lie about.

The worst thing he told me is that his mum has cancer. She doesn’t because on her FB page she was talking about how she actually has a digestive disorder and thank goodness it wasn’t anything more sinister.

He also told me that he got some pedigree cats but the police took them off him and he had to go to the police station to get them back. This turned out to be a lie.

He told me he’s got no children - lie.

He told me he owns 3 cars and 2 motorbikes - lie.

Why do some people do this? Is it part of a personality disorder?

I think the reasons are as varied as the lies:

• money
• attention
• enjoyment
• believe their own fiction

I’ve been close to someone (very good friend) and then discovered they were a pathological liar. Was a very unsettling experience

I find people like that really scary.

Chronically low self esteem likely to be underlying it all (doesn't make it ok, obviously).

I think there are different reasons.
for some
it's insecurity and shame, so they might pretend they have a better job, more money than they have.
Others are on a power trip and its a little thrill to trick you, because you are not as clever as them.
last lot are bonkers and believe their own lies.
Met all three types, can tolerate the first type of lie because its usually quite pitiful.
Would run a mile for middle example, because I think it would go along with some kind of personality disorder.
Used to work with someone like in last example and that individual just led a bit of a sad life and it was obviously just a bit of an escape for them. Again bit sad.
Wouldn't entertain any as life partners though.

Interesting thread. I've met people who are a mix of the categories listed by @comebacksunshines

• 1 an ex manager. Lied systematically to senior management to shift blame unto the team when she was the one at fault. Lied about her achievements, past and present. Clearly low self esteem AND into playing power games.

-1 someone I used to volunteer with. Had had a hard life with a lot of bad luck, being victimised, bullied, treated badly, sexually harassed... Or so we thought. Gradually it turned out that while there was probably a grain of truth in most of what she claimed, a lot of it was exaggerated or even totally untrue. I think she wanted to feel in control over others and loved to get people all riled up on her behalf. She clearly also believed her own lies and I now think of her as disordered.

It definitely is scary because to me it just makes no sense and you never know where you are with such people.