User blog comment:SpaceWeather/Things Aren't Always As They Appear/@comment-1874924-20150623021907/@comment-5931267-20150627084333

Actually a pathological liar can be either aware they're lying or beleive they're telling the truth. My psychological diagnosis is that I'm an aware pathological liar, or one that knows he's lying. It is actully a fairly common misconception that those not associated with it often make, or so my psychologist and psychology profesors tell me. My lies are usually just meant to spice things up and make me look better overall, both being the key factors of pathological lying. However, the issue for me is that it's heavily compulsive and occurs for next to no reason. Essentially it's a habit that's become a key component of who I am. So I am technically mentally unhealthy... but I am in fact aware of it. So to be honest Gideon what I have is, by medical and psychological definitions, pathological lying. Now pathological lying in and of itself is not considered a mental disease, but a symptom of other mental diseases usually. However, my particular case, while linked to my depression, is not caused by it. I really just wanted to clear that up because some of what you said was quite misinformed to modern definitions, especially those used in a psychological context. It is a more modern view on how the symptom (not yet a disorder, but it should be) opperates. I can agree with you about the Becoming the Mask part though.