Over the last week, Priti Patel lied about funding to tackle domestic violence, Gillian Keegan lied about Randox, Sajid Javid lied about Govt promises, Matt Hancock lied about #NHS contracts, & Boris Johnson lies all the time.
What kind of liars are they?
This #THREAD quotes extensively from, & is based on, an article from US based "online relationship therapy platform" 'Regain' - which imho is appropriate, given the long history of Boris Johnson's affairs & failed relationships.
Defining what it means to lie & how bad it is, can be challenging: it involves questions of intent & expectation.
Clearly, when someone deliberately gives a false or misleading statement or answer to a question, this is lying, & it's a big problem - *especially* in politics.
There are lots of different sorts of liar: sociopathic liars, pathological liars, compulsive liars, occasional liars, careless liars, narcissistic liars, habitual liars, pathetic liars, & white liars.
Some may be due to an underlying condition, but some are just pure lying.
Pathological liars, for example, are overcome by a need to lie about matters regardless of how big or small they are. They also often cannot control this urge. Compulsive liars, pathological liars, & narcissistic liars are similar in this regard & may well be "successful" people.
Motivations for lying are important.
Some people lie out of fear or discomfort, to avoid awkward or difficult moments or face the consequences of their actions.
Some people lie because they enjoy the sense of control it gives them - they may even relish manipulating others.
Sometimes people lie purely out of habit - they're so used to covering up mistakes & avoiding difficult situations with dishonesty, they don't know how not to.
People who lie out of habit may have started lying as a youngster out of fear, or to avoid discomfort.
Impulsive liars are everyday liars: saying you ate one biscuit when you ate two, or exaggerating a project's success - these lies are often impulsive, motivated by feeling better about ourselves, being seen as better by our peers, or avoiding admitting things we aren't proud of.
Many politicians lie to cover up some facts or alter the intensity of relevant information, as it benefits them.
Because of the human tendency to not notice gradual change, occasional impulsive lies can lead to regular compulsive lying, & can be hard to see until it's too late.
For the people in this category, this behavior can manifest as saying whatever they need to keep the conversation going or maintain their self-esteem.
This type of lying often has inconsistencies because the dishonest person is not careful; they're just lying out of habit.
Pathological lying is compulsive lying to the extreme - it's safe to assume that just about everything that comes out of their mouth is questionable.
It can be difficult to know for sure because without ways to check their statements, you can't be sure what's going on.
Sociopathic liars are scary: while sociopaths are not completely amoral, they have a level of detachment that makes dishonesty more likely & harder to change.
Sociopathic liars tend to lie towards specific objectives, & lie simply as a means to an end.
You can sometimes spot sociopathic liar by watching their behavior when their dishonesty is called out.
Unlike most compulsive or pathological liars, when they are caught out as dishonest, they are capable of shrugging & simply moving on to the next "victim."
The most extreme, rare & dangerous liar is the psychopathic liar.
Sometimes associated with pathological lying, the difference lies in the associated emotions & overall application: if someone is lying all the time, is it habitual, do they really not feel anything, or both?
Like sociopaths, psychopaths view other people as a means to an end, have no attachment to anything called the truth, & are unconcerned about being caught.
They exhibit a high degree of selfishness, an inability to plan for the future, & even violent responses when challenged.
When we find we've been lied to, it's natural to become upset or angry, & lash out at the person responsible.
However, justified as this may be, it can be counter-productive towards the goal of getting them to stop lying.
Simply challenging lies, on its own, is insufficient
While definitions of what counts as problematic lying vary, we can be sympathetic to others' motivations, while being honest about what we can tolerate.
Someone may be lying because it's how they were raised, but we should make it clear it's unacceptable or even intolerable.
Calling out lies immediately when you spot them & asking them to stop are good general tactics.
People who are compulsive liars require behavior changes. But simply calling them out will not be enough to alter deep-seated behaviors.
Taking a strong stance may be necessary.
Discerning sociopaths & psychopaths from compulsive liars is trickier.
If you call out their lies & their response is little or no guilt, this is more problematic, & may need professional help - which by their nature politicians would not seek, as it challenges their legitimacy.
The impact of lies can be devastating, for individuals, wider society, & even a country.
They may even contribute to avoidable mass deaths.
Pathological liars may have personality disorders, such as narcissistic disorder or antisocial disorder.
One form of lying, known as pseudologia fantastica, another name for pathological liars, may have a genetic component.
Pathological liars lie even when there is no apparent benefit, & many cannot control this urge to lie about even the smallest matter.
This is partially what separates pathological liars from narcissistic liars, pathetic liars, careless liars, & even compulsive liars.
However, obviously not all lying is genetic, & some forms of lying can be symptoms of an existing mental disorder.
Whether a person exhibits signs of compulsive liars, careless liars, narcissistic liars, or another type, it can be challenging to get them to stop lying, & depends entirely on the cause for their lying.
Liars lie for different reasons.
Calling people liars because they lie may not help someone get to the root of the problem.
Compulsive liars, for example, often cannot even control their lies, & even if they wanted to, may need the help of a trained specialist to control their lying.
History teaches us that "charismatic" leaders who are willing to lie, and who are willing to use scapegoating & divisive rhetoric about certain individuals, groups & minorities, can have cataclysmic consequences.
A handful of selfish sociopathic billionaires and the populist politicians and media they fund have deliberately divided and radicalised millions of people across the world, solely to protect their wealth and power.
They claim to want to help “save children” while spreading distrust of experts, reputable journalism, climate science, and vaccines — which have saved over 100 million children since 1974.
By dividing the public, they protect their wealth and power.
Rather than justify how their wealth was earned, these elites cultivate scepticism of their critics and of expertise itself.
This deliberate erosion of trust shields their interests while undermining the science that saves lives and protects our planet.
Robert Jenrick closed his Conference speech with: “Let’s build this NEW ORDER. Let’s TAKE our country back.” Hitler's “New Order” was a vision for an Aryan-led Europe which involved exterminating or enslaving “undesirable” minorities.
In Britain, a group of prominent MPs—including Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson, Rupert Lowe, Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman—are normalising far-right discourse through three recurring frames/themes: invasion, scapegoating for cultural destruction, and demographic replacement.
Let's talk about chainsaw enthusiast, Musk buddy, and darling of the global free-market right, Javier Milei.
Let’s look at which UK politicians and news media have been most effusive in their praise for him, and at whats happened to Argentina since he was elected in 2023.
Milei’s election as President of Argentina in November 2023 was met with enthusiasm from right-wing news media and populist politicians who praised his libertarian, anti-establishment platform as a model for radical economic reform.
Support was often framed in the context of Thatcherite principles, with Milei seen as a disruptor against "socialism".
1. Kemi Badenoch celebrated Milei as a "template" for her own potential Government, aspiring to be "Britain’s version of Javier Milei".
A global evangelical Christian ARMY linked to TPUSA/TPUK, "fighting for the Britain whose church missioned & colonised the dark, demonic, heathen world with light, truth & salvation", founded by a former British boy band member addicted to cocaine until he found God?
WTAF!🤯
'The King's Army' is a non-denominational Christian evangelism and discipleship movement launched in the UK mid-2024 - a "spiritual army" of believers enlisted to combat sin, cultural decay, and "darkness" through aggressive street outreach, prayer marches and public protests. 🤪
Drawing on biblical military metaphors, it emphasises "virtue and valor" among Christians, urging them to "stop living like civilians and start fighting like soldiers!"
It targets young men for recruitment, standing against issues like secularism and "immoral culture"!
Two people have died and three are in a serious condition following a suspected terror attack on a Manchester synagogue. Muslim leaders have condemned the attack. The suspect was shot dead by Police.
Some @X accounts are blaming Starmer. What's this got to do with @elonmusk?
Since Musk bought Twitter in October 2022 and rebranded it as @X, the platform has transformed from a space for news and debate into a megaphone for hate, disinformation, and extremist ideology.
The consequences are now spilling into the streets.
Musk’s first act as owner was to gut @X’s safety and moderation teams, firing around 80% of staff responsible for enforcing hate-speech and misinformation policies.
Ellison (~$390bn), Musk (~£385bn), and Zuckerberg (~$260): the three richest men on earth.
Ellison is buying TikTok. He controls nearly 50% of Paramount Skydance and wants Warner Bros Discovery. Carrie Symonds's dad is a director of his Foundation.
For more than a century, some of the richest people on earth have bought up various media in order to shape politics and public opinion in a way that protects their wealth and power from democracy.
Musk, Zuckerberg and Ellison are doing precisely this on steroids.
These billionaires are reshaping the world into a dystopia that makes The Handmaids Tale look quaint.
Ellison owns 98% of one of the largest Hawaiian Islands, rolls out his total global surveillance system called 'The Oracle' to ensure 'good behaviour'.