Pathological lying — what it means

Lying as a default mode rather than for specific gain — small lies, unnecessary lies, lies you can immediately verify. Often comfortably maintained even when caught.

What it looks like

They told their boss they'd been to Yale. They told you they'd been to Princeton. Neither is true. When you asked once, they laughed: "You knew what I meant." The unnecessary lie is what makes it pathological — there was no upside, just the lie itself.

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