Talented liars?

[Thoughtful]

Like many here, I absolutely hate being lied to, and avoid lying out of habit, but I draw a line between lying and deceiving.

I tell the truth 99% of the time, and usually don't care what others think about it. If I think answering might offend, I will attempt to dodge the question by asking one or making an unrelated comment, but if pressed for an answer I will give it, usually because if the dodge doesn't work then it should be plainly obvious.

However, I did go through a period where when asked a question I would answer in a different context. (Example: Q: "Did you take out the garbage?" A: "the garbage has been taken out." Unsaid: but not by me.) nor were these always on such trivial matters, but I totally believed everything I was saying, and at first it worked like a charm. Eventually, my close family learned to be very careful when I answered a YN question with a sentence, but it still works on those not familiar with the pattern.

I love the Art of a bluff way more than I do bluffing. The only time I find deception useful is when waging war on somebody (strategy games mostly).

But in social situations, when forced to speak, I tell it like it is. If it's important enough to bother me over it, then it's important for you to have the truth. if you don't want to be lied to, don't ask me.

 

[milkyway2]

People tell me I wear my emotions on my face and they can always tell when I'm lying. So no.

 

[Zero]

I hate lying. I don't like to consider things "wrong", but lying is one of those deeds I might make an exception for. There are quite a few reasons for that, along with the fact that I'm not very good at deciphering lies, even jokes/sarcasm is hard for me at times.

I think there's a difference between blatant lie and complete misinformation and buffering. I mean a "white lie" is just buffering. If you go around telling people how miserable or sick you are all the time, they get sick of you. Sometimes it's best just to say "I'm fine". But that's a social norm. I don't mind people making these sort of "lies", since they're for the sake of not bothering another person, not for giving misinformation.

I think people who give misinformation on purpose to do something hurtful or mean should be shot on sight. I also don't like that sarcasm people, girls, use to be mean. I don't catch most of the time.

Liars would seem to me to be people who manipulate people or hurt people with their lies.
People who use lying as social buffering are buffering.

 

[ckm]

I dislike lying but sometimes I end up in a situation where I see lying as the best option and when lying there isn't time to hesitate, so usually it's a spur of the moment lie. When that happens, I am usually convincing as long as I can remain calm. Teachers always believe me, so I have an air of trustworthiness about me I guess. I imagine I could be a convincing liar if I planned out my lies, but that's just something I don't do.

 

[Prinznobody]

Lying in form of sarcasm I guess, my brutality makes people itch...

 

[bananaphallus]

I'm managing a real whopper of a lie at the moment, it's getting pretty stressful. I failed (stopped going midway through) a semester's worth of classes a year ago, but told my parents I'd done fairly well, and lied about the number of credits approved for transfer from my previous school to offset the loss; if all goes according to plan, and I can pass this semester and graduate, I'll get off scot-free. I'm in too deep to consider coming clean, it's just not worth it. I also lie about looking for a job - I'll go out driving around for hours listening to music rather than actually apply. When I get home I'll have made up employee names, conversations, reasons for my not having been hired, etc. I hate myself for all of this, and at the root of it is essentially a fear of people/social interaction (or possibly just extreme laziness), but I'm honestly not sure what else to do at this point.

 

[Words]

Not liking lying but always lie.

 

[NothingTodo]

I am an excellent lier i know what everyone likes to hear. I know everyones weakness and i know how to make it believable.

 

[reputo]

I can definitely be a convincing liar when I have to be. Like others said I can also tell when people are lying or when they have a hidden agenda, which tragically is quite often.

 

[ashitaria]

Same here too. By diverting your eyes down-wards and biting your lips, you can worm your way out of almost anything. Though that might just be me.

I don't lie a whole lot, I just do alot of sneaky things (like visiting this forum here for instance). When I do get caught though, I am often able to sow seeds of doubt among the thoughts of my parents.

Also there are times I don't have to lie. Take this conversation for example:



Band “senior”: Are you helping out?
Me: Yes
Senior: No you are not. You are just sitting there doing nothing. Get up and do something and get your butt of the chair.
Me: I am doing something. I’m breathing.
Senior: That’s not something productive.
Me: But breathing is productive. Look, I’m producing Carbon Dioxide. *makes dramatic gesture*
Senior: Carbon Dioxide does not help the band in any way. Get up and go you fat-ass!
Me: (annoyed) First of all, your other cronies are no better. While I’m sitting down, they are standing up and socializing, while I see that if you wanted work to be done, you wouldn’t be standing here arguing with me in the first place. Second of all, Carbon Dioxide does help. If it wasn’t for Carbon Dioxide, trees would be dead, and then we would be dead. I hope you have been attending enough Science classes to know that. Third of all, *acting silly again* I have an ass? Why, I never knew that. Do you?

And I know I know, I am an ass

 

[Logos]

I've only had to lie a few times, and I don't really like it because a man's dignity is the most important thing he can have. Although they believe me everytime.

Dad: Electric Michael Wizard, are you out smoking weed!?!?
MeLie) Of course not, unlike some people I learn from your mistakes. (though I had my suspicions, I later got the full story from Mom who told me about the time dad triped acid and tried to drive... what an idiot)
Dad: ...Mom told you that didn't she (leaves with his head down)

 

[dbtng_thomas]

I was like Noddy's nephew when I was a kid. I lied all the time about meaningless things. I eventually grew old enough to become aware of what I was doing to myself and modified my behavior. I make a point of either telling the truth or saying nothing. Life certainly sorts itself out more easily with this policy.

- dt

 

[_whispers_]

I don`t mind lying, I do it, don`t have any trouble with it, but only if I have to. Most of the time I`m actually telling the truth... about a different situation. But I can also be painfully honest. You know - when you tell the truth about things the small things, people wouldn`t actually suspect you of lying about the things that matter. Or something along those lines.

 

[Lobstrich]

I have extremely good lying 'skills' if I want to.. But I don't, Truth is everything.
And I'm like Carnap. Most of my friends have 'adapted' to that and accept that's who I am.

And to be honest I like it. What gives them the right to come to me, ask me what I think. And then get mad because I tell them what I think?

If I tell they look good, and I'm lying.. Then they don't look good. What's the point of it? And I hate it when people "lie for others sake"
What gives YOU the right to dictate what other "delusions" People have.. You shouldn't try to control what they think. By "lying for their sake" It disgusts me.

 

[Luminates]

As said before, I only lie when absolutely necessary.

Last week in school, I went to use the "public" phone in the office. I was calling because we were being let out 2 hours early due to weather. It just so happens I didn't drive that day. I went to call my parents at home. I notice a lady that worked back there was also there, but I just ignored her. Now first off, your supposed to ask for permission when using this phone, but in my whole 4 years of high school, I never have. So I went back to use the phone like usual, and after using it, I was asked by that one lady if I had persmission. To avoid any uneeded confict, I told her I did. She believed me and sent me on my way.

About 10 min later, I was called down to the "nurse's" office. This indicated I was in trouble for that phone call, why? Because that lady was the nurse
Realizing this, I thought of a why and how they found out I lied. Turns out, the reason for calling me down was not because they found out I lied, but because she was curious as to who I asked for permission. Apperantly, she is the only one allowed to give permission for that phone. I then double lied my way out of this by saying I didn't know who gave me permission. In the end, all she said was to go to her for permission next time.

 

[Mary]

The trend is obvious: INTPs can lie pretty well, but hate it and rarely, if ever, do so.

Games have been mentioned here - indeed, I absolutely adore lying and deceiving while playing games, inventing all sorts of facts, faking emotions, etc. It may well be that I enjoy it so much because I don't get to lie enough in real life. However, I can observe, that what I like is creating a lie and watching it work, I receive aesthetic pleasure from complex lies; a bluff which couldn't work but does is almost orgasmic. And I extend that apperciation for the art of lying to real life, actually. Sometimes I think that I might not get offended if somebody staged a complicated, flawless performance to deceive me instead of bluntly stating false facts which I could easily check, as most do. It someone does that, I will simply accept my defeat, with no ill thoughts towards the man, for I will have participated in an artistic project of a sort.

I wonder: why do we hate lies in general and feel very uncomfortable lying to anyone? Values of 'truth and clarity' (which I share) have been mentioned, but I feel that there is a deeper reason for that.

When I'm being lied to the false information limits my ability to act in the world, infringes on my freedom. But why don't I lie? Even when it is certain that truth won't be discovered and that nobody cares about the subject?

Hehehehe..
This is basically my feelings about lying too. I love acting, and it may be my way of relieving my wish to decieve people. I've always been good at lying, even as a little kid, my parents would always believe me.. It really scared me back then. I hated it.

 

[Mary]

I have extremely good lying 'skills' if I want to.. But I don't, Truth is everything.
And I'm like Carnap. Most of my friends have 'adapted' to that and accept that's who I am.

And to be honest I like it. What gives them the right to come to me, ask me what I think. And then get mad because I tell them what I think?

If I tell they look good, and I'm lying.. Then they don't look good. What's the point of it? And I hate it when people "lie for others sake"
What gives YOU the right to dictate what other "delusions" People have.. You shouldn't try to control what they think. By "lying for their sake" It disgusts me.

Ughhh, I COMPLETELY agree with this. In my social studies class we were discussing whether or not 'white lies' are okay, and I was the only person in m class to say that they were not. A lot of the people in my class said that if they had to lie in order to enact something that would positively impact the community, they would, which disgusted me.

 

[Vatroslav]

I can be a perfect liar. I lied before when I had to, but lately almost not at all... don't like it... don't need to. In very rare cases if there is no choice and if the consequences are horrible, I can make an exception. But generally- I don't lie. And yes, as a kid- even then I was able to lie anything needed to anyone needed. Does it have anything to do with our INTP nature? I didn't read the whole thread, but it looks like I'm not alone in this. It is interesting indeed.

 

[Vatroslav]

Aha, I just read some more of the thread- yes, it obviously MUST have to do something with our INTP nature...

 

[Hawkeye]

Nobody believes a single word I say anymore. By this I mean in general conversation as I rarely have serious talks with anyone. For example, I casually told someone I had nearly a million hours clocked on a game I started playing in 1992. Hardly a conversation of any importance.

 

[DylanHead]

I lie when life gets boring, to people I have little to no respect for. I had this redneck believing I was a doctor when I don't have a job or college education.

 

[Kuu]

I love the Art of a bluff way more than I do bluffing. The only time I find deception useful is when waging war on somebody (strategy games mostly).

Is social life not a war (or a strategy game) ?

 

[intuitivet]

I don't lie a lot. But every time I do people believe me. Every single time. I remember when I had to bullshit myself out of a really serious problem a couple years ago in my class in front of the teacher, it was like a theater performance. Made it all up on the spot and after the lesson about 15 people approached me with a concerned "aww that's terrible, is there any way I can help you?" look on their faces. My face is usually stone cold but I guess I managed to capture the desperate 'going to burst into tears any second' look. Since then I try to lie just if I can get away with it from time to time, but have stopped lately because sometimes I even manage to convince myself it's true. I also seem to be extremely aware what are other people thinking (which is helpful but often I get way too...paranoid).

Is it natural for an INTP to understand emotions so well - even if he doesn't use them - and lie/act like Nixon's grandkid? Or is it just me

I really don't lie anymore, I just say "I don't want to talk about it" or something. When I did everyone believed me, I could think up any answer to any questions about the situation they had and my story was fool proof.
It's probably being able to think fast.

 

[gregarian]

I find lying difficult. I also think it's contemptuous, and only do so if the other person forces me to, which usually takes place in the context of a social conformity process.

It's probably difficult for INTP's because underdeveloped extraverted feeling may make us poor liars.

 

[Lobstrich]

"Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.."

- Henry David Thoreau

 

[orion]

im a talented liar and i believe INTPs are naturals at it most i meet are great at lieing and manipulating aslong as they have learned to be social im great at lieing and munipulating but i only do it for good reasons like to pervent someone from being hurt or get someone caught at doing something wrong without people knowing i got them caught. i have rarly lied for selfish reasons and i felt terrible afterwards. many INTPs are good at faking emotions considering most of our emotions are internal. we r quick thinks and observers allowing use to make and change a story in a split second. so i believ it is easier to learn for us.

 

[Geminii]

In such situations I often won't let the conversation to reach the subject they desire but actually make it flow in the opposite direction and watch the frustration that gradually appears on their faces.

This is hilarious.

If anyone feels bad about doing it, there's always waiting until they're about to storm off and then leading with "And now, let us speak of the real reason you came to me." Great stuff for enhancing your reputation as a psychic or oracle. Particularly if you vigorously deny that you are one.

 

[americanlov3]

exactly how I feel! lol:smiley_emoticons_mr

 

[Jesse]

The best liars I feel don't actually lie they just avoid the question. Seriously I'm horrible at lying 1 on 1 but I usually skirt the question and distract them or just not talk about what I'm trying to lie about.

 

[Amor Anti]

As far as I can tell, I'm a pretty bad liar. My face usually gives away the truth. I think I don't actually want people to believe me.
I have the habit of lying frequently to get out of things or save face (ie; "I don't feel well", "Oh yeah, I was just working on it....I'm almost done."), but I also dislike lying to the point where I've started to tell the truth even when I know it's going to screw me over.