Pathological lying can begin with personal fabrications and escalate into falsifying workplace interactions, misrepresenting project roles, and seeding vague rumors that erode trust. Motivations may include attention-seeking, career advancement, or an underlying psychological disorder, and liars may believe their own falsehoods. Coworkers should avoid attempting diagnoses or treatment. Practical protections include documenting incidents in detail, preserving written records, corroborating facts with witnesses, restricting sensitive responsibilities, communicating in writing, setting boundaries, and raising concerns with supervisors or HR when dishonesty affects work or reputations.
I am starting to suspect that my new co-worker is a pathological liar. At first, it seemed harmless. He mostly told personal stories with details that were easily verifiable as lies, or I'd overhear him telling two different co-workers two conflicting things. I thought he just wanted some attention, and I wasn't really worried about it. However, the lies have started bleeding over into work.
Dear Concerned Co-Worker, You are right to be concerned. Your co-worker might be lying for entertainment, to advance his own career, or because he has a psychological disorder. When someone is pathologically lying, they often believe the elaborate tales they're spinning are actually true. The condition (also known as pseudologia fantastica or mythomania) causes a lot of problems for the liar and anybody they interact with, and it is very difficult to treat.
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