pathology of lying-第61章

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ses。


Reasonably　good　home　from　birth　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。5　　Defective　home　conditions　through　poverty　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。2　　Very　ignorant　parents　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。2　　Immoralities　in　home　life　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。6　　Marked　defect　in　parental　control　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。6　　Very　erratic　home　conditions…parent　abnormal。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。1


Early　Mental　Experiences。　　As　will　have　been　observed　by　the　reader　in　going　over　the　case　histories；　the　early　mental　experiences　of　many　of　our　group　of　mentally　normal　pathological　liars　have　been　shockingly　bad。　　Full　appreciation　of　this　can　only　be　gained　through　perusal　of　the　text；　but　here　we　may　call　attention　to　the　fact　that　no　less　than　8　of　the　19　have　had　very　early　untoward　sex　experiences；　that　5　were　markedly　under　the　influence　of　bad　companions；　including　even　the　influence　in　one　or　two　cases　of　vicious　grown　people。　　The　sex　experiences　we　have　just　enumerated　were　received　through　otherswe　are　not　here　speaking　of　masturbation；　which　is　discussed　above。

Psychic　Contagion。　　Direct　contagion　of　the　tendency　to　lie　seems　more　than　likely　to　take　place；　at　least　during　the　more　plastic　periods　of　life。　　It　may　be　that　this　only　develops　when　there　is　some　sort　of　predisposition　to　instability；　our　related　findings　on　defective　heredity　would　seem　to　indicate　the　fact。　　It　should　be　noted　that　in　5　instances　out　of　our　19　mentally　normal　（Cases　2；　4；　6；　8；　20）　some　other　member　of　the　household；　we　learned　from　reliable　sources；　was　known　as　a　chronic　prevaricator。

Mental　Conflicts。　　The　fact　that　several　of　our　cases　started　lying　from　the　time　when　there　occurred　some　experience　accompanied　by　a　deep　emotional　context；　and　that　this　experience　and　the　emotion　was　repressed；　seems　to　point　clearly　to　the　part　which　repressed　mental　life　may　play　in　the　genesis。　　That　as　children　they　kept　to　themselves　secrets　of　grave　import　and　dwelled　long　on　them；　shows　in　a　large　number　of　our　cases。　　Anything　deeply　upsetting；　such　as　the　discovery　of　the　facts　of　sex　life　or　questions　about　family　relationships；　are　the　incidents　which　cause　the　trouble。　　For　students　of　modern　psychology　nothing　more　need　be　said　on　this　pointthe　concrete　issues　are　perceivable　in　the　case　histories。　

Adolescence。　　Quite　apart　from　the　age　of　onset；　we　may　consider　the　physical　and　psychical　instabilities　of　adolescence　as　effective　causes　of　pathological　lying。　　Of　course　it　is　equally　true　that　many　other　tendencies　to　peculiarity　are　accentuated　at　this　period。　　It　has　been　suggested　that　cases　which　have　their　origin　largely　in　the　unstable　reactions　of　adolescence　have　much　the　better　prognosis；　but　it　seems　that　not　enough　evidence　has　been　accumulated　as　yet　to　justify　us　in　this　conclusion；　which；　we　acknowledge；　may　prove　to　be　true。

Irritative　Conditions。　　In　the　same　way　the　various　types　of　irritative　conditions；　physical　and　mental；　may　be　considered　as　exciting　moments。　　Individuals　with　a　tendency　to　pathological　lying　will　no　doubt　show　aggravation　of　the　phenomenon　at　periods　of　particular　stress。　　We　have　heard　it　suggested　in　several　cases　by　relatives　that　the　menstrual　period；　for　instance；　brings　about　an　access　of　tendency　to　prevarication。　　We　would　grant　the　point　without　conceding　this　exciting　factor　to　be　a　fundamental　cause。　　（Case　21；　we　may　say　again；　illustrates　a　special　fact。）　　The　periodicity　which　Stemmermann　makes　much　of　may　merely　mean　succumbing　during　a　period　of　physiologic　stress。　　Social　stress　also　may　be　met　by　pathological　lying；　in　the　same　way　that　the　individual　who　finds　himself　in　a　tight　place　may　attempt　to　get　out　of　it　by　running　away。　　We　have　already　spoken　of　the　likeness　of　social　and　physical　stress　as　showing　when　the　weak　individual　is　brought　to　bay。　　That　pathological　lying　does　not　run　an　even　course；　but　shows　remarkable　fluctuations　with　powerful　exacerbations；　is　undoubtedly　to　be　explained　by　changes　of　inner　and　outer　stress。　

Habit　Formation。　　The　influence　of　habit　in　causing　chronicity　must　always　be　definitely　reckoned　with。　　It　is　hardly　necessary　to　say　more　than　a　word　on　this　subject。　　Even　the　individual；　as　in　Cases　8；　9；　and　10；　comes　to　strongly　realize　it。　　Particularly　is　this　point　to　be　estimated　in　considering　the　possibilities　of　a　rapid　cure。

Special　Mental　Abilities。　　Once　more；　for　the　sake　of　completeness　in　giving　a　category　of　causes；　we　should　call　attention　to　the　fact　acknowledged　by　all　thorough　students　of　this　subject；　namely；　that；　other　things　being　equal；　it　is　particularly　the　individual　who　has　linguistic　abilities；　who　is　especially　good　at　verbal　composition；　that　seems　to　have　most　incentive　to　dally　with　the　truth。　　But　beyond　this　we　would　insist　that　a　combination　of　verbal　ability　with　proportionate　mental　defects　in　other　fields　gives　a　make…up　which　finds　the　paths　of　least　resistance　directly　along　the　lines　of　prevarication。


SOCIAL　CORRELATIONS


The　role　played　in　society　by　the　pathological　liar　is　very　striking。　　The　characteristic　behavior　in　its　unreasonableness　is　quite　beyond　the　ken　of　the　ordinary　observer。　　The　fact　that　here　is　a　type　of　conduct　regularly　indulged　in　without　seeming　pleasurable　results；　and　frequently　militating　obviously　against　the　direct　interests　of　the　individual；　makes　a　situation　inexplicable　by　the　usual　canons　of　inference。　　To　a　certain　extent　the　tendencies　of　each　separate　case　must　be　viewed　in　their　environmental　context　to　be　well　understood。　　For　example；　the　lying　and　swindling　which　center　about　the　assumption　of　a　noble　name　and　a　corresponding　station　or　affecting　the　life　of　a　cloister　brother；　such　as　we　find　in　the　cases　cited　by　Longard；　show　great　differences　from　any　material　obtainable　in　our　country。　　In　interpretation　of　this；　one　has　to　consider　the　glamour　thrown　about　the　socially　exalted　or　the　life　of　the　reclusea　glamour　which　obtains　readily　among　the　simple…minded　people　of　rural　Europe。　　Then；　too；　this　very　simple…mindedness；　with　the　great　differences　which　exist　between　peasant　and　noble；　leads　in　itself　to　much　opportunity　for　cheating。

With　us；　especially　in　the　newer　work　of　courts；　which　are　rapidly　becoming　in　their　various　social　endeavors　more　and　more　intimately　connected　with　many　phases　of　life；　the　pathological　liar　becomes　of　main　interest　in　the　role　of　accuser　of　others；　self…accuser；　witness；　and　general　social　disturber。

Here　again；　we　may　call　attention　to　the　fact；　which　is　of　great　social　importance；　namely；　that　the　person　who　is　seemingly　normal　in　all　other　respects　may　be　a　pathological　liar。　　It　might　be　naturally　expected　that　the　feebleminded；　who　frequently　have　poor　discernment　of　the　relation　of　cause　and　effect；　including　the　phenomena　of　conduct；　would　often　lie　without　normal　cause。　　As　a　matter　of　fact　there　is　surprisingly　little　of　this　among　them；　and　one　can　find　numerous　mental　defectives　who　are　faithful　tellers　of　the　truth；　while　even；　as　we　have　found　by　other　studies；　some　are　good　testifiers。　　Exaggerated　instances　of　the　type　represented　by　Case　12；　where　the　individual　by　the　virtue　of　language　ability　endeavors　to　maintain　a　place　in　the　world　which　his　abilities　do　not　otherwise　justify；　and　where　the　very　contradiction　between　abilities　and　disabilities　leads　to　the　development　of　an　excessive　habit　of　lying；　are　known　in　considerable　number　by　us。　　Many　of　these　mentally　defective　verbalists　do　not　even　grade　high　enough　to　come　in　our　border…line　cases；　and　yet　frequently；　by　virtue　of　their　gift　of　language；　the　world　in　general　considers　them　fairly　normal。　　They　are　really　on　a　constant　social　strain　by　virtue　of　this；　and　while　they　are　not　purely　pathological　liars　they　often　indulge　in　pathological　lying；　a　distinction　we　have　endeavored　to　make　clear　in　our　introduction。

It　stands　out　very　clearly；　both　in　previous　studies　of　this　subject　and　in　viewing　our　own　material；　that　pathological　lying　is　very　rarely　the　single　offense　of　the　pathological　liar。　　The　characteristics　of　this　lying　show　that　it　arises　from　a　tendency　which　might　easily　express　itself　in　other