From lies to mythomania
Everyone lies
According to an American study, on average only two lies are told a day… Not to mention that, in particular, people tend to lie to answer the questionnaires! The goal is to give a good image of oneself, to be appreciated by others. This is what, in psychology, is called “social desirability”.
It is useless to deny it, we all lie from time to time. Lying is necessary in social life as well as in more intimate relationships. But that doesn't necessarily mean we're evil manipulators! The important thing is to remain aware of the amorality of the lie. This is what distinguishes the occasional liar from the chronic one, who lies naturally, without having problems.
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At the same time, we are continually forced to confront the lies of others, without necessarily realizing it. Furthermore, we often do not try to find out more because we fear the truth that these lies may be hiding.
The little lies
Most of the lies that are part of everyday life are almost instinctive acts, which are however isolated cases generated by real motivations.
Lying is part of social conventions, which give rise to selfless lies. It is not out of dishonesty that we don't tell the truth, but to protect others. We say what they are ready to hear. According to some psychologists, this is one of the secrets of good communication.
However, other specialists, such as American psychotherapist Brad Blanton, claim the opposite. He thinks that we should ignore the judgment of others and have the courage to always say what goes through our minds, without censoring ourselves ... The purpose? Making relationships truly authentic, so that we get to know others and ourselves better.
Then there are selfish lies, auelle we say to enhance ourselves, to seem more interesting. Those that amplify our qualities and minimize our defects.
And then there are lies invented to avoid conflict, to protect yourself or avoid punishment ...
Mythomania
We talk about mythomania when lies become pathological. The causes of mythomania can often be found in an emotional shock, a professional failure or an event so negative that it is impossible for the person who experienced it to accept. Thus the latter finds herself escaping the reality that makes her suffer, inventing another, more serene world, made up of lies.
Not all myth addicts look alike. The psychiatrist Ferdinand Dupré, in fact, distinguished four types of mythomanias: the vain (bragging person), that wandering (person who keeps running away), that malignant (compensation of an inferiority complex through malignancies) and, finally, that perverse (lying to take advantage of others).
The mythomaniac is not aware of his own psychic disorder. The people around him must try to persuade him to consult a specialist.
However, it must be said that there is no real cure. Only a psychic analysis can help this person to find the hidden causes of his illness, to find a way out towards recovery.
