Post by chris on Jul 5, 2016 18:29:41 GMT -7
Why is it that lying has become routine for politicians at all levels of government, from the President of the United States and his administration officials all the way down to certain directors on the GLA board? Over the past decades America has been dumbed down to the point that moral values are no longer practiced or revered by a majority of the public, to the point that lying has become “de rigueur.” Don’t people realize that inevitably the truth will always out, that webs of lies and deceit will always unravel and thus expose the culprits for the despicable beings they are? Apparently not, for habitual liars remain addicted to their ways regardless of their damaged reputations.
Unfortunately, Glastonbury has more than its statistical share of habitual liars, some of whom hold elected offices and positions of leadership in this community, just as we experience at the national level in politics. Once I wrote the preceding sentence I decided to research the thought. Here is what I found in just a few minutes:
Sixty per cent of people can’t go for ten minutes without lying! According to a 2002 study conducted by the University of Massachusetts, 60% of adults can’t have a ten minute conversation without lying at least once. But even that number makes it sound better than it really is; those people in the study who did lie actually told an average of 3 lies during their brief chat. And I know you’re sitting there right now insisting you would be part of the 40% that didn’t lie. That’s what the liars in the study thought, too. When they watched the taped conversations back, they were shocked at how many fibs they had told. mentalfloss.com/article/30609/60-people-cant-go-10-minutes-without-lying
What motivates people to lie? Psychologist Robert Feldman cites self-esteem as one of the biggest culprits in our lying ways: "We find that as soon as people feel that their self-esteem is threatened, they immediately begin to lie at higher levels." Feldman believes many lies are simply for the purpose of maintaining social contacts by avoiding insults or discord. Small lies that avoid conflict are probably the most common sort of lie...and avoiding conflict is a top motivator for deception. www.blifaloo.com/info/lying-why.php
Habitual or pathological liars are among the worst offenders. Unfortunately, pathological lying is a complex phenomenon, differing from other mental illnesses. It has many life-changing consequences for those who must live with the illness. Currently, there is not enough research in the area of pathological lying to guarantee a cure. There are many consequences of being a pathological liar. Due to lack of trust, most pathological liars' relationships and friendships fail. If the disease continues to progress, lying could become so severe as to cause legal problems, including, but not limited to, fraud. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathological_lying
Studies have shown that people can identify lies only about 50 percent of the time, or about the same as chance. To be sure, researchers have been able to figure out some clues to uncovering deception. When people tell a significant lie, for instance, they typically gesture less and their arms may appear stiff. People telling lies also might have dilated pupils because they feel nervous about spinning an untruth. Even with the development of such research, there's no surefire way to catch a liar. But someone with a known track record of lying is likely to pay a price. "Lies add up," says Feldman. "The more you know that someone is not telling you the truth, the less trustworthy they are. They're just telling you stuff you want to hear, and you won't listen to them anymore." health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/brain-and-behavior/articles/2009/05/18/were-all-lying-liars-why-people-tell-lies-and-why-white-lies-can-be-ok
Did you know that there are several types of liars? This article describes them in more detail than this short essay can: www.bandbacktogether.com/compulsive-lying-resources/
How many Glastonbury liars do you know? What types of liars are they? Are they harmless white-lie tellers or are they motivated by self-esteem and power issues? Are they worthy of retaining their elected offices or shall they be replaced with honest representatives of, by, and for the landowners and not the representatives of an institution?
Once the liars’ reputation is tarnished, and they are exposed for the deceitful beings they are, it is very difficult to earn back the trust they once enjoyed.
Unfortunately, Glastonbury has more than its statistical share of habitual liars, some of whom hold elected offices and positions of leadership in this community, just as we experience at the national level in politics. Once I wrote the preceding sentence I decided to research the thought. Here is what I found in just a few minutes:
Sixty per cent of people can’t go for ten minutes without lying! According to a 2002 study conducted by the University of Massachusetts, 60% of adults can’t have a ten minute conversation without lying at least once. But even that number makes it sound better than it really is; those people in the study who did lie actually told an average of 3 lies during their brief chat. And I know you’re sitting there right now insisting you would be part of the 40% that didn’t lie. That’s what the liars in the study thought, too. When they watched the taped conversations back, they were shocked at how many fibs they had told. mentalfloss.com/article/30609/60-people-cant-go-10-minutes-without-lying
What motivates people to lie? Psychologist Robert Feldman cites self-esteem as one of the biggest culprits in our lying ways: "We find that as soon as people feel that their self-esteem is threatened, they immediately begin to lie at higher levels." Feldman believes many lies are simply for the purpose of maintaining social contacts by avoiding insults or discord. Small lies that avoid conflict are probably the most common sort of lie...and avoiding conflict is a top motivator for deception. www.blifaloo.com/info/lying-why.php
Habitual or pathological liars are among the worst offenders. Unfortunately, pathological lying is a complex phenomenon, differing from other mental illnesses. It has many life-changing consequences for those who must live with the illness. Currently, there is not enough research in the area of pathological lying to guarantee a cure. There are many consequences of being a pathological liar. Due to lack of trust, most pathological liars' relationships and friendships fail. If the disease continues to progress, lying could become so severe as to cause legal problems, including, but not limited to, fraud. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathological_lying
Studies have shown that people can identify lies only about 50 percent of the time, or about the same as chance. To be sure, researchers have been able to figure out some clues to uncovering deception. When people tell a significant lie, for instance, they typically gesture less and their arms may appear stiff. People telling lies also might have dilated pupils because they feel nervous about spinning an untruth. Even with the development of such research, there's no surefire way to catch a liar. But someone with a known track record of lying is likely to pay a price. "Lies add up," says Feldman. "The more you know that someone is not telling you the truth, the less trustworthy they are. They're just telling you stuff you want to hear, and you won't listen to them anymore." health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/brain-and-behavior/articles/2009/05/18/were-all-lying-liars-why-people-tell-lies-and-why-white-lies-can-be-ok
Did you know that there are several types of liars? This article describes them in more detail than this short essay can: www.bandbacktogether.com/compulsive-lying-resources/
How many Glastonbury liars do you know? What types of liars are they? Are they harmless white-lie tellers or are they motivated by self-esteem and power issues? Are they worthy of retaining their elected offices or shall they be replaced with honest representatives of, by, and for the landowners and not the representatives of an institution?
Once the liars’ reputation is tarnished, and they are exposed for the deceitful beings they are, it is very difficult to earn back the trust they once enjoyed.
