Lying 101: Liars Become Better Through Practice

Most people think that lying is something they do to others, but in fact, it is a two-way street: they are also being lied to by others. Reporters William Wan and Sarah Kaplan explained in their article in Washington Post that a study suggests lying rewires the brain, which makes it easier for the person to lie again.

In effect, lying desensitized the brain to the fear of getting caught in the lie, which tells the person that lying is good for them. It is a dangerous thing as people slowly do not understand how lying could change them.

But when you are being lied to, it makes the person feel confused, has self-doubts and fear, which is a result of long-term exposure to what liars call the "alternative facts."

What does it feel for liars when they lie?

Lying would give an uneasy feeling to many people, but how do chronic liars feel when they lie? It is shocking to see them weave their lies with ease and such conviction.

But like many things, practice makes perfect, according to an article in Salon. Everyone had experienced bending the truth in favor of them and perhaps unconsciously lie with some regularity. For instance, the participants in a 2003 study by the University of California reported lying at least twice a day.

The most common lie people say is "I'm okay" and if that counts in the study, the number must be higher. White lies as this one are considered social lubricant and a "get out complicated explanations."

However, the case of people with an antisocial personality disorder or pathological liars is not similar to white lies. They lie to justify their behavior and do more lying until they get better at it. That means the more they lie, the bigger it gets.

The physiology of lying

"Signal reduction in the amygdala is sensitive to the history of dishonest behavior, consistent with adaptation. . . . the extent of reduced amygdala sensitivity to dishonesty on a present decision relative to the previous one predicts the magnitude of escalation of self-serving dishonesty on the next decision," according to a 2016 study published in Nature Neuroscience.

Simply saying, what begins as a small lie could become big with potentially harmful consequences. Therefore, people can get desensitize from lying.

Dr. Bandy X. Lee explained that this could come in handy with a narcissist as they overcompensate to create a self-image that he is best at everything, always right, and the best in all things.

But some experts said that it is not just the amygdala that works when people lie. According to a 2009 study from Harvard University, the prefrontal cortex also reacts with lying.

They found that people who tell the truth do not show any increased activity in that part of the brain, contrary to those people who cheated. Also, it even happened even when the liars start telling the truth, meaning it takes a lot of work to tell the truth.

People who know right from wrong would feel bad when lying and would give out cues that they are being dishonest. However, habitual liars do not feel bad that is why they often pass lie detector tests, rendering these machines not 100% accurate.