pathology of lying-第4章

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These　studies　focus　our　attention　on　the　following　points　which　are　valuable　to　emphasize　for　the　purpose　of　this　monograph：　the　complexity　of　details　to　be　examined　in　the　life　of　any　one　patient　in　whose　delinquencies　pathological　lying　is　a　factor；　the　variety　of　cases　in　which　this　factor　may　occur；　hence　the　difficulties　in　the　way　of　determining　the　extent　to　which　the　patient　is　responsible　for　his　deeds　and　whether　he　belongs　in　a　reformatory　or　an　insane　hospital。　　From　the　standpoint　of　society　Delbruck's　work　has　great　use；　since　it　reveals　so　plainly　the　menace　that　these　liars　are　to　their　families　and　to　the　community　as　a　whole；　their　unscrupulousness　in　financial　dealings；　their　tendencies　to　bring　false　accusations　involving　families　and　friends　alike　in　useless　expense　and　litigation。

German　studies　on　pseudologia　phantastica　since　Delbruck's　time　have　followed　the　line　of　amplification　of　his　views　and　clarification　of　the　subject　by　the　addition　of　new　types。　

Koppen＇9＇　attempted　to　differentiate　sharply　and　to　analyze　more　accurately　the　conception　of　the　pathological　lie。　　He　found　it　impossible　to　make　an　absolute　separation　between　pathological　lies　and　normal　lies。　　The　lies　of　the　mentally　diseased　are　seldom　pathological。　　They　lie；　but　their　lies　do　not　differ　from　those　of　the　mentally　sound。　　We　cannot　call　the　results　delusional　lies。　　Among　imbeciles　we　find　a　peculiar　disposition　to　lying；　especially　among　those　of　criminal　inclination。　　Their　lies　do　not　separate　themselves　either　in　content　or　in　relation　to　the　rest　of　their　ideas　from　the　lies　of　the　mentally　diseased。　　Here　follows　his　positive　contribution　to　the　conception；　the　pathological　lie　is　active　in　character；　a　whole　sequence　of　experiences　is　fabricated　and　the　products　of　fancy　brought　forward　with　a　certainty　that　is　astonishing。　　The　possibility　that　the　untruth　may　be　at　any　minute　demolished　does　not　abash　the　liar　in　the　least。　　Remonstrances　against　the　lies　make　no　impression。　　On　closer　inspection　we　find　that　the　liar　is　no　longer　free；　he　has　ceased　to　be　master　of　his　own　lies；　the　lie　has　won　power　over　him；　it　has　the　worth　of　a　real　experience。　　In　the　final　stage　of　the　evolution　of　the　pathological　lie；　it　cannot　be　differentiated　from　delusion。　　Pathological　lies　have　long　been　credited　to　hystericals；　they　are　now　known　to　arise　in　alcoholics；　imbeciles；　degenerates。　　All　pathological　liars　have　a　purpose；　i。e。；　to　decorate　their　own　person；　to　tell　something　interesting；　and　an　ego　motive　is　always　present。　　They　all　lie　about　something　they　wish　to　possess　or　be。


＇9＇　‘‘Ueber　die　pathologische　Lugner；''　Charite…Annalen；　8；　1898。　Pp。　674…719。




Koppen　offers　three　case　studies：　　I。　　A　man　who　had　suffered　from　many　epileptic　seizures　came　from　a　family　in　which　there　was　insanity。　　He　gave　himself　many　false　titles；　and　from　his　childhood　pathological　lying　had　been　a　prominent　symptom。　　As　an　example；　when　he　married　against　his　father's　will；　he　at　the　wedding　read　a　false　dispatch；　pretending　it　to　be　congratulations　from　his　family。　　Koppen　suggests　that　this　individual　was　incapable　of　meeting　life　as　it　really　was　and　he　therefore　wove　a　mass　of　phantasies。　　II。　　A　young　man　charged　with　grave　falsifications。　　He　had　come　from　an　epileptic　family　and　himself　had　slight　attacks　in　childhood。　　He　bore　various　pathological　stigmata。　　Koppen　considered　that　the　patient　believed　his　own　stories　about　his　rather　superior　education　and　that　in　general　his　lies　became　delusions　which　influenced　his　actions。　　He　diagnosed　the　case　as　psychotic；　insane　in　a　legal　sense。　　III。　　A　young　man　undoubtedly　insane　brought　forward　his　pathological　lies　with　such　force　that　Koppen　was　persuaded　that　the　patient　believed　in　them。

Bernard　Risch＇10＇　has　seen　many　cases　of　delinquents　with　more　or　less　marked　psychopathic　signs　in　which　pathological　lying　was　the　focal　point。　　He　reports　five　cases　at　great　length；　in　all　of　whom　the　inclination　to　fabricate　stories；　‘‘der　Hang　zum　fabulieren；''　is　irresistible　and　apparently　not　to　be　repressed　by　efforts　of　the　will。　　Risch's　main　points；　built　up　from　study　of　his　cases；　are　worthy　of　close　consideration：　　1。　Mental　processes　similar　to　those　forming　the　basis　of　the　impulse　to　literary　creation　in　normal　people　lie　at　the　foundation　of　the　morbid　romances　and　fancies　of　those　afflicted　with　pseudologia　phantastica。　　The　coercive　impulse　for　self…expression；　with　an　accompanying　feeling　of　desire　and　dissatisfaction；　plays　a　similar　part　in　both。　　That　the　making　up　of　tales　is　an　end　in　itself　for　the　abnormal　swindler；　just　as　it　is　for　the　normal　author；　seems　clear　to　Risch。　　2。　The　morbid　impulse　which　forces　‘‘zum　fabulieren''　is　bound　up　with　the　desire　to　play　the　role　of　the　person　depicted。　　Fiction　and　real　life　are　not　separated　as　in　the　mind　of　the　normal　author。　　3。　The　bent　of　thought　is　egocentric；　the　morbid　liar　and　swindler　can　think　of　nothing　but　himself。　　4。　There　is　a　reduction　of　the　powers　of　attention　in　these　cases；　only　upon　supposition　that　this　faculty　is　disturbed　can　we　account　for　the　discrepancies　in　the　statements　of　patients。　　One　has　the　impression　that　their　memory　for　their　delinquencies　is　not　clear。　　Careful　investigation　proves　that　they　do　not　like　to　remember　them　and　this　dislike　has　to　be　overcome。　　5。　There　is　a　special　weakness　in　judgment；　which　for　general　purposes　is　sound。　　The　train　of　thought　is　logical；　but　in　ethical　discernment　the　lack　appears。　　The　pathological　liar　does　not　face　openly　the　question　of　whether　his　lies　can　be　seen　through。


＇10＇　‘‘　‘Ueber　die　phantastische　Form　des　degenerativen　Irrseins；　Pseudologia　phantastica。''　　Allgemeine　Zeitschrift　fur　Psychiatrie；　65；　1908；　H。　4；　pp。　576…639。




Then　follows　a　closer　analysis　of　the　qualities　possessed　by　pathological　liars：　（a）　Their　range　of　ideas　is　wide。　　（b）　Their　range　of　interests　is　wider　than　would　be　expected　from　their　grade　of　education。　　（c）　Their　perceptions　are　better　than　the　average。　　（d）　They　are　nimble　witted。　　Their　oral　and　written　style　is　above　normal　in　fluency。　　（e）　They　exhibit　faultiness　in　the　development　of　conceptions　and　judgments。　　Their　judgment　is　sharp　and　clear　only　as　far　as　their　own　person　does　not　come　into　consideration。　　It　is　the　lack　of　any　self　criticism　combined　with　an　abnormal　egocentric　trend　of　thought　that　biases　their　judgments　concerning　themselves。　　（f）　Psychic　traumata　arise　perhaps　through　a　striking　reaction　in　the　emotional　realm　towards　external　occurrences。　　（g）　Nearly　all　of　Risch's　cases　were　burdened　with　bad　inheritance。　　He　maintains　that；　above　all；　these　cases　show　instability　and　psychic　excitability。　　The　entire　symptom　complex　arises　upon　a　basis　of　degeneracy。

Essential　similarities　run　through　all　of　Risch's　cases；　it　is　perhaps　valuable　here　to　cite　a　couple　of　them。　　His　Case　I　is　that　of　a　soldier；　who　after　being　released　from　prison　at　23　years　had　begun　his　military　duty　and　in　a　short　time　attempted　suicide。　　He　was　then　studied　for　insanity。　　It　was　found　that　he　gave　long　accounts　of　his　experiences　as　a　chauffeur；　rendering　his　story　with　fluent　details　about　hairbreadth　escapes　and　other　adventures。　　He　also　told　at　length　of　his　love　affair　with　a　young　girl。　　These　stories　were　discovered　to　be　false　from　‘‘A　to　Z''；　he　did　not　clearly　remember　them　later。　　The　evolving　of　such　fabrications　was　all　along　one　of　his　chief　characteristics。　　Examination　showed　no　gross　intellectual　defect；　but　there　were　certain　psychopathic　signs　which　had　been　displayed　from　early　childhood：　he　had　little　endurance　and　was　unable　to　stand　criticism。　　Emotions　befitting　his　stories　were　correctly　expressed　by　him；　there　were　no　facial　evidences　of　conflict　or　discomfort。　　It　was　impossible　to　tell　from　his　physiognomy　that　he　was　engaged　in　untruths。　　Mentally　he　was　well　oriented　and　his　thoughts　flowed　in　orderly　sequence。　　Despite　rather　limited　education　he　demonstrated　very　good　style　in　his　conversation　and　his　letters。　　The　train　of　thought　was　expressed　coherently　and　logically；　so　well　that　one　could　speak　of　him　as　having　literary　ability。　　Physically　he　was　quite　normal。　　Investigation　of　antecedents　showed　that　he　was　born　of　an　exceedingly　nervous　mother　（more　exact　diagnosis　not　given）　and　that　he　had　a　feebleminded　brother。　　During　his　school　career　he　was　considered　to　have　quite　fair　ability。　　He　learned　no　trade；　and　after　stopping　school　would　leave　a　position　upon　the　slightest　provocation。　　Before　he　was　23　he　had　been　legally　punished　many　times　for　stealing　and　had　spent；　all　told；　over　three　years　in　prison。　　Once　before　he　had　attempted　suicide。　　After　the　thorough　study　of　him　at　23　he　was　placed　in　an　asylum。　　There　he　was　occupied　at　basket　weaving　and　was　chiefly　notable　for　keeping　up　the　characteristics　that　were　peculiar　to　him　before。　　He　continually　lied　and；　indeed；　seemed　to　get　his　main　pleasure　out　of　telling　fabulous　stories　to　the　other　patients。

Case　IV　was　a　man　of　31　years；　a　decorative　painter　by　trade；　who　presented　himself　at　the　states　attorney's　office　and　stated　that　in　a　fit　of　jealousy　he　had　shot　and　killed　a　man。　　Taking　up　the　case　it　was　soon　found　that　this　was　quite　untrue　and　that　the　man　was　a　chronic　liar。　　He　seemed　much　astonished　when　he　was　told　that　the　man　he　claimed　to　have　killed　was　still　alive。　　Further　study　of　this　self…accuser　showed　that　he　had　been　punished　by　the　law　every　year　since　he　was　16。　　His　offenses　consisted　of　embezzling；　theft；　forgery；　and　swindling。　　In　all　he　had　served　about　6　1/2　years。　　His　lying　was　so　much　a　part　of　his　mental　life　that　he　seemed　to　be　unable　to　discriminate　between　his　real　and　his　fancied　crimes。　　He　not　only　invented　stories；　but　was　much　inclined　to　play　some　role　created　by　his　fancy。　　There　seemed　to　be　a　method　in　his　cheating　and　swindling　which　added　to　his　undoubted　pleasure　in　lying。　　His　peculiar　career　was　much　furthered　by　the　possession　of　a　fluent　style　and　a　good　memory　through　which　his　creations　were　built　up　in　most　plausible　fashion。　　He　proved　to　be　willingly　introspective　and　stated　that　his　inclination　to　lie　was　a　puzzle　to　him；　and　that　while　he　was　engaged　in　prevarications　he　believed　in　them。　　He　always　was　the　hero　of　his　own　stories。　　He　further　declared　that　inner　unrest　and　love　of　wandering　drove　him　forth　even　when　he　was　living　under　orderly　conditions。　　He　considered　that　his　feeling　of　restlessness　was　a　weighty　motive　in　the　deeds　for　which　he　had　been　punished。　　At　one　time　this　man　had　simulated　attacks　of　epilepsy　and　attempted　in　connection　with　these　to　swindle　physicians　and　others。　　His　schooling　had　been　continued　to　the　gymnasium；　‘‘untertertia；''　then　he　had　taken　up　his　trade。　　His　intelligence　and　memory　were　considered　excellent。　　He　had　an　insane　brother。

Vogt＇11＇　has　made　a　thorough　analysis　of　six　cases　of　pathological　liars；　ranging　from　the　very　stupid　to　the　intelligent。　　I。　A　girl；　who　had　done　poorly　in　school　was　unable　to　hold　a　place　and　became　a　thief。　　Her　mother　was　epileptic。　　Examination　showed　intelligence　not　equal　to　that　of　eight　years　with　moral　inferiority　on　account　of　this　weakness。