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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

DH tells ridiculous white lies

95 replies

CookingCabbage · 08/12/2016 17:59

My DH tells lies about ridiculously small things. Should I be worried about this? He tells me what sounds good or what will make me happy/keep the peace. There are no big lies, only little ones. It has affected my trust because I now question and look for evidence of lies. I worry that he is telling me lies a lot, even though there is no evidence of that. I think he gets it off his mother, who does the same, and who recently encouraged our DD to lie (e.g. don't tell your Mum you had those sweets).

BTW I am not a scary person who he can't tell the truth to. I hate lies and he knows lying is always worse than just being honest with me.

This is how ridiculous it is:
One evening when our DS had the sickness bug, he washed his hands after changing a nappy and I noticed he did not use and soap and only swilled his hands quickly. I said: "please can you make sure you are washing your hands properly and with soap as the bug is very contagious"...etc. He replied: "I did use soap".
We then had a massive debate about whether or not he used soap (because I KNEW he didn't). I even smelled his hands, because the soap has a distinctive smell, to prove it. It took him A WHOLE YEAR to admit to me that he did not use the soap that day.

Another time whilst out in town, I saw his car approaching from a direction it would not have come from that day had he been working in the location he told me. So I asked "What time did you get back from x today?". He replied he'd come straight home from that location. I told him I saw him an hour ago driving from the opposite direction. He said he'd taken a wrong turn at an island and had then got a phone call from his manager, so drove to ASDA car park to take the call, where he sat on the car park for an hour. So I checked his phone and he hadn't been talking to his manager, but to a girl in the marketing department. He then admitted he was talking to her and explained what about (work-related).

I believe there is nothing between him and this girl. I believe he told me the easiest story he could think of. But it still involved several lies.

When I first met him we had a conversation where I told him the idea of having debts scared me and I would not want to get serious with someone who had debts. He told me he had no debts, even though he did. He later explained he felt embarrassed about the debt. I know this is a bigger lie. I understood his reasoning and he paid the debt off anyway a year or so later.

Frustrated with this and sometimes I worry whether I actually know this man. There is nothing else about him that I have issues with though. He is lovely, kind and considerate in general.

OP posts:
CarolOfTheBells · 09/12/2016 12:32

Since he recenty told me the lying has stopped, I've not caught him out on any lies

Do you think my exh didn't apologise and promise he'd stop lying? Or cry and say he realised I wasn't going to be an ogre about, ooh well, anything really.

He's a liar. You cannot trust a liar.

But you, like the rest of us, clearly need to learn that for yourself. And, sadly, find out the hard way.

I do genuinely wish you luck, and yes, I think the idea of saving money is a good one. Although, do it discreetly if you are married to liar with debt problems too.

Gideonsangel123 · 09/12/2016 12:35

My sister is like this, she tells stupid lies, mainly about her grown up children, she lies that her son in law is influential in government when in reality he deals with the internal post in an office, she also states that her daughter lives in a listed building, she lives in an ordinary mid terrace. It's pathetic and annoying and extremely boring.

CookingCabbage · 09/12/2016 12:36

I would not save money discreetly (it would kind of make me look like a liar!). I just mean, we need to be getting ourselves into a solid financial position so that if we ever have to separate our assets fairly, we will both be OK. He does not have debt anymore. He paid it off a long time ago, thankfully.

OP posts:
CarolOfTheBells · 09/12/2016 12:39

You're a fool then.

Having personal savings does not make you a liar. It puts you in a position of strength in case you ever need money for any reason.

CarolOfTheBells · 09/12/2016 12:41

And, sadly, as he is a liar, you have absolutely no idea that he doesn't have debt. You can't trust what he says. Just because you haven't seen it or don't know of it, it means nothing.

Because he's a liar.

DailyFail1 · 09/12/2016 12:42

He sounds like a people pleaser and a perfectionist and he may have anxiety. I used to do this a lot - if someone asked me a question (any question) I'd panic and give the first response I could think of which was a lie. However left to my own devices ie if I wasn't questioned I would always, always be honest. Counsellor put it down to social anxiety due to my traumatic childhood where I used to get questioned by my parents just before a beating. Dh and I worked through it by ensuring questions weren't asked accusingly, I would count to 10 before answering any question to give me a chance to calm down, and through CBT. He needs help.

wantmorenow · 09/12/2016 13:01

My exH was a liar, his lies and the stress it causes broke us up. He eventually conceded that he required counseling. He attended sessions every week for at least two months, then we went to relate to work on how to use his new self-awareness and commitment to change going forward to reconcile. We did reconcile and his lies grew worse.

Many years later he confessed that he never went to any counseling, he pretended to to appease me and all the relate stuff was a total sham. However if I could just give him one more chance......Hmm

Now I assume that if his mouth is open he's probably lying although there may be some truth in among his talk too! Would ditch immediately if I was lied to by current BF. Not negotiable. Sunken costs fallacy is that you should put up with his lies (really doesn't matter why he lies does it, easy life, disrespect, low self-esteem, habit-result is same) because you're married, have kids and made a commitment. You don't have to stay in a relationship who is basically dysfunctional and dishonest.

Put yourself and your kids first over your loyalty to him and your vows. Google gas lighting! You may end up doubting your ability to recall things, disbelieve your kids because he will contradict their accounts of events, think you're going mad! I did. Sad

CookingCabbage · 09/12/2016 13:02

I haven't seen any evidence of there being anything devious in this behaviour at all. I don't think it comes from a place of deviousness.

Obviously I asked to see all the paperwork when the debt was paid off. That would mean he'd have to open new debts without me knowing. As I said, I don't think he's that devious. I also open much of his mail (as he is wecome to open mine) and never sniffed a whiff of anything untoward. I have visibility over all of our finances and he is rubbish at using the internet so does not do internet banking.

If you split up all assets have to be declared and a decision made on how they are split. All of our money and assets are joint. I would not be keeping money tucked away that he didn't know about or that would not be declared, as I'm not that kind of person.

OP posts:
CarolOfTheBells · 09/12/2016 13:07

That would mean he'd have to open new debts without me knowing. As I said, I don't think he's that devious

You'd be surprised.

And secret savings are far less damaging to a relationship than secret debt.

I really hope you're right, OP, but don't be so determined to keep it all together that you close your eyes to what is happening around you.

Shiningexample · 09/12/2016 13:12

You have to fight fire with fire

wantmorenow · 09/12/2016 13:20

How about telling him that his lies are making you consider your long term future together as you can't trust him so you will be contributing to a savings account which will be used if and when you reaching breaking point due to his behaviour?

That's honest and means he knows what the consequences are if he chooses to continue lying.

Phoebeby · 09/12/2016 13:24

Its just silly. I would lose respect someone like this

measles64 · 09/12/2016 13:28

Well I am mad because OH lied about the Ryvitas which had vanished. I am on a diet and was looking forward to Ryvitas with my smoked salmon, could I find them, could I heck. He said he had three, well I had three the other day which makes 6. What is infuriating is that he inhales any cakes, biscuits etc. that come into the house for the children so he is not on a diet!!

Kione · 09/12/2016 13:45

Sorry but but not lying is NOT rare Confused

PushingThru · 09/12/2016 13:45

I'd cushion yourself because of another risk: him lying at work and getting sacked.

measles64 · 09/12/2016 14:23

The little lies, then make you wonder if there are bigger lies, which is what imo. is so unsettling. I have caught mine out in two little lies this week. He seems to find it so easy is it because I am an ogre or what.

Bingybongybashy · 09/12/2016 14:40

OP not sure how or if I can pm you. Can you pm me first so I can reply?

riceuten · 09/12/2016 14:48

These are not little white lies.

He has (eventually) admitted to

a) Debt you knew nothing about
b) chatting up some girl in marketing

The hand washing thing I can let go, but not the 2 above. He needs to change drastically

CookingCabbage · 09/12/2016 16:36

I dont believe he chatted up the marketing girl. He was talking to her about a piece of work. He just gave me the easiest answer (explained more in earlier post). He said if he got back to the office from that trip, hed get sucked into office work so sat just making calls instead. I get that and think its the truth. Thats why the lies are so pointless. Often the truth is harmless. If hed just said "got back an hour ago and didn't want to go back to office, so parked up and made some calls instead". I would have been "oh ok".

OP posts:
CookingCabbage · 09/12/2016 16:46

Bingy - Next to each message I write there is a 'Message Poster' tab next to my name (where it also says 'Add Message and Report). Not sure why you want to message me though rather than write on the thread? Be nice!!

OP posts:
WhereYouLeftIt · 09/12/2016 17:20

"How about telling him that his lies are making you consider your long term future together as you can't trust him so you will be contributing to a savings account which will be used if and when you reaching breaking point due to his behaviour?"

That is a very good suggestion.

FaithFromTheRealmsOfGlory · 09/12/2016 17:58

It really sounds like he has a problem. It's a lifelong habit. This article might help Honsstly, I agree with pp that he is unlikely to be able to stop by himself. He probably needs therapy to stop. Would he be willing to go? I suspect that a. He'd imply you're overreacting for suggesting it and b. He's lying about an awful lot more than you realise. If he lies about the small things, how on earth can you trust him about anything?!

CarolOfTheBells · 09/12/2016 18:01

Yes, I agree. I think that he would both say you are over reacting and that he is lying about an awful lot more than you realise.

HoridHenryrules · 09/12/2016 18:10

Do you question him a lot about things?

Do you nag at him?

Do you treat him like a child?

CarolOfTheBells · 09/12/2016 18:13

Nag? Are you a woman HoridHenry?

Don't understand women who use misogynistic language.

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