The long list of George Santos’ resume lies seems unending. They are an ongoing fountain of material for comedians and meme creators as well as being a huge source of amusement for Democrats.
Beyond its entertainment value, however, the George Santos debacle raises questions about the psychology of one who seems almost incapable of telling the truth. What causes one to compulsively lie ? While this is a complicated question that can’t be answered here, let’s clear up some of the confusion which exists about the phenomenon of lying in general:
1. Not All Lying is the Same Sometimes a person is aware that they are lying and sometimes they are not.
2. Confabulation is a rare psychological condition in which a person believes memories that are not true. Confabulation is not a stand-alone disorder but merely a single characteristic which may be a part of a larger syndrome such as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), traumatic brain injury (TBI) or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS) ). Confabulation is not conscious or an intentional effort to deceive. (To be clear Confabulation is not George Santos’ problem. Folks who confabulate are absolutely sincere in their beliefs and are not conscious of their factual errors.)
3. Intentional Lying is technically referred to as mythomania and pseudologia fantastica. Intentional lying is usually understood as either a situational stress-reaction or a patterned response which is part of an underlying personality disorder, e.g. such as antisocial, narcissistic, histrionic or borderline personality disorders.
4. Is Lying Necessarily Pathological ? Some researchers look at lying from a non-pathological perspective. The Psychology Today article (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-nature-of-deception/202212/pathological-lying-in-politics?fbclid=IwAR2FYrG207YwNlJOC6Ean3fSctt6w6hjtxubbY7KhZxowFo0JvbNEiJiEpc) discusses political lying and raises the provocative question: Do liars become politicians, or does politics make candidates lie ?
Studies show that politicians tend to see themselves as more honest than the general population. Ironically, however, research also reveals that those who lie the most tend to be more successful than those who don’t.
Based on this data, political lies could be seen as rational and learned behavior rather than a pathology. Lies may be seen as adaptive (not moral) since lying is positively correlated with success. (Although this explanation at first seems to fit Santos’ profile, Santos’ history of lying about his achievements precedes his becoming a political candidate.)
It must be understood that the magnitude of Georg Santos’ lying is way beyond the normal political puffing and exaggeration we are used to hearing from politicians. Even in the Trump era. I don’t believe that he is typical of most of our leaders.
That said, the fact that most representatives in his party have failed to denounce him or call for his resignation, is something to reflect upon. Certainly, the more important problem here is not only political liars but also those who are willing to believe or at least tolerate them. Perhaps the surreal extremity of this scandal can be a wake-up call for all who have grown too comfortable with lies and deception.
Over the past decade, a sizable segment of Americans has elected a large number of representatives who not only lie but also seem to have trouble accepting facts they don’t like. In that light, Santos seems to be a grotesquely exaggerated example of how far a reality-denying politician will go. He, like Donald Trump and others, has learned that not only can you get away with lies, but also you can win with them.
To be fair, there are signs that many Americans are fed up with reality denying politicians. Trump supporting candidates, who promoted the “big lie”, overwhelmingly lost. Likewise, it is doubtful that Santos would have won if his opponent and or the media had done their homework and voters had know the truth about his whoppers.
Even so, the MAGA movement is still strong and the majority in House of Representatives aims to pursue its goals. (Don’t forget that before Santos 147 Republicans voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/01/07/us/elections/electoral-college-biden-objectors.html From this perspective, Santos can be seen as a metaphor for America’s larger cultural malaise i.e. its willingness to deny reality.
Apart from George Santos, this story provides an important opportunity for self-examination. Certainly, the problem is not simply the liar but those who are willing to believe him. Perhaps this scandal can be a wake-up call for all who have grown too comfortable with lies and deception.
Over the past decade, a sizable segment of Americans has elected a large number of representatives who not only lie but seem to have trouble accepting facts they don’t like. In that light, George Santos seems to be just another example of a reality-denying politician. He, like Donald Trump and others, has learned that not only can you get away with lying but also that you also can win with them,
To be fair, there are signs that many Americans are fed up with reality denying politicians. Trump supporting candidates, who promoted the “big lie”, overwhelmingly lost. Likewise, it is doubtful that Santos would have won if his opponent and or the media had done their homework and voters had know the truth about his whoppers.
Even so, the MAGA movement is still strong and the majority in House of Representatives aims to pursue its goals. (Don’t forget that before Santos 147 Republicans voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/01/07/us/elections/electoral-college-biden-objectors.html From this perspective, the George Santos scandal is exposes that a lot of Americans have a problem with the truth. His election is an expression of a larger cultural malaise, i.e. its willingness to deny reality.
Those caught up in the blight have given up on the truth and lost faith in America. Santos and those like him express the fears of those who have succumbed to hate and conspiracy theories. FAITHFUL IS NOT ENOUGH | Pastoral Counseling Syracuse NY (revmichaelheath.com)
Unfortunately, psychotherapy cannot treat this societal illness. Ultimately, the solution to this problem rests not with psychology but in restoring faith and confidence in our country. Things will only improve when we, as a society, elect leaders who chose to face the difficult realities of the present rather than pursuing the ideological fantasies of an idealized past.
Rev. Michael Heath, LMHC, Fellow AAPC 1 24 2023
www.revmichaelheath.com/ https://www.revmichaelheath.com/
