A belated meeting of intellectuals called at the behest of the public.
- circa 2024
Ladies and gentlemen, since history is being manufactured in India, academicians have been busy resolving a dilemma around this public persona. An outline of the meeting’s deliberations:
1st speaker: What exactly is he – a congenital liar; compulsive liar; a plain natural liar; or pathological liar?
2nd speaker: We all know that congenital liar is one who is such from birth or nature. He would not speak the truth if his life depended upon it. But such a person is quite benign.
3rd speaker (psychiatrist): A pathological liar is a person who is someone who lies to get his way. He is manipulative, clever and has an aim in mind. Concern for the feelings of others is completely missing. They may damn a religious minority like Muslim community. This is often a warning sign of antisocial personality disorder (commonly known as a psychopath). True, such a person may be able to love someone, but he cannot have an honest and healthy relationship. For example, he may marry but after a while he would distance himself from his spouse without even a divorce; it would not be desertion, too. They have a weak grip on reality; they often believe their lies. They hold no value for truth they lack empathy and remorse. A failure to feel any guilt or shame about one’s misdeeds is said to be their hall-mark.
4th speaker: A compulsive liar is not crafty; while telling lies he would avoid eye contact. He knows the actual reality and its difference from what he is saying while lying. With such people lying comes out of habit. For him telling the truth is very awkward and uncomfortable, while lying feels right. They tell lies for no clear reason and some times for no real benefit.
5th speaker: May I add that a pathological liar lies continuously. Perhaps he has a childhood trauma and lying is a sort of coping mechanism. It may be associated with some other type of mental health disorder.
6th speaker: Some crooks who are pathological liars often quote Plato who had opined that lying is an unfortunate but inevitable aspect of practical politics. The term ‘Noble Lie’ was introduced by Plato. The devil sure can cite Scripture for his purpose.
7th speaker: Natural liars lie easily but are not anti-social. They do not harm others.
Pathological liars to become dictators are apt at manipulating public opinion and suppress dissent; can get intellectuals incarcerated under Draconian laws under which there is no provision for bail. A relationship exists between lying and fascism. Ironically the fascist leader projects himself as a divine figure.
A fascist pathological liar Vs Democracy, Humanity and Constitution
Iris DeMent on 26 June 2017 wrote a Facebook Post:
“A fascist pathological liar is at the helm and the danger he poses cannot be overstated.
If you love democracy, if you care about humanity, you must resist this mentally unstable demagogue with everything you’ve got and in every way imaginable.
…
If DJT* imposes a Muslim registry, I will place my name on it.
I will stand up for the Constitution of the United States of America and resist the scapegoating of any and all of my fellow citizens.
Stay awake!
Standing down is not an option!”
At age 73+ I got introduced to this singer-songwriter and her new album “Workin’ on a World”. This song is a sustained political statement.
[I have relied on the works of Dr Paul Ekman who is a well-known psychologist and co-discoverer of micro-expressions. Also, I have been educated by the source MedicineNet – an American healthcare information website launched in 1996.]
*DJT: Donald J. Trump
P.S. Sahni is a member of PIL Watch group. He is a qualified orthopaedic surgeon.