The Difference Between Men and Assholes

quarto said...

Why do guys lie so much?

9:32 PM

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Firstly, Quarto, I beesech you, do not generalize. "Some guys" is more appropriate. Even "most guys" or "nearly all guys". Yet, because this response does not deal with that, we are going to group the lying male into a category A, titled "assholes."

Also, it is safe, I believe, to assume that you refer to males and their involvement (or lack thereof) in romantic (or unfortunately unromantic) relationships, such as dating, so it is along these lines that I will respond. Obviously, any male who lies pathologically (as opposed to the occasional false statement, of which all are guilty) under these circumstances could fit more easily into category A(ssholes) than any other.

Assholes and lying? There are many answers to your question, Quarto, and none of them an excuse for the action. A few (low self-esteem, escape from a situation caused by simply being a jerk, etc.) result from what I, after a brief consideration, would consider to be the foundation of the majority of, if not all, reasons to lie.

Lying regards fiction, obviously. In a work of fiction, there are two groups of who find pleasure in the obfuscation of reality: authors (the one speaking the fiction) and the intended audience (in the circumstance of a man lying to a woman, also the author).

Merriam-Websters definition of fiction is this;

1 a : something invented by the imagination or feigned; specifically : an invented story b : fictitious literature (as novels or short stories) c : a work of fiction; especially : NOVEL
2 a : an assumption of a possibility as a fact irrespective of the question of its truth (a legal fiction) b : a useful illusion or pretense
3 : the action of feigning or of creating with the imagination

It's imporant when being the receiver of a falsehood to remember that you, in fact, though the male may be speaking to you, are not the audience.

We exist in a culture in which fiction, the blurring or total absence of reality, is a daily pleasure, taken upon by countless individuals. Theater, in all its forms, and dramatic or humorous literature, little more than the writing of a false performance, are common escapes from the overbearing consequences of the actual, existing actions performed by we, humanity, including those things often perceived as entirely coincidental, such as a car accident.

And, as I'm sure you will agree, little more holds undesirable consequence than the relationship between a man and a woman.

With this in mind, though most likely in Mr. Assholes subconcious, the lie spurns from a need for entertainment, and entertainment comes with the concoction of fiction and the pleasure of hearing it. Doesn't make sense? Let me expand.

Modern drama in our current American culture has two things demanded of it: a) realism and b) a large disregard for realistic circumstances. We expect an unbelievable situation to release believable emotions in the audience.

Understand this, and you will understand at least one reason for a lie; the concoction of a lie yields circumstances that would otherwise not exist. Our Asshole, as mentioned above, regards himself as the audience, paying little mind to the fact that he is also the author, and, knowing the inevitable consequences of the discovery of a lie, creates a circumstance in which realistic emotions will be displayed before him. You, unfortunately, are regarded as little more than a character in the fiction he creates.

Sound like a pretty fucked up thing to do? Well, here's the appropriate definition of "Asshole" as provided by Merriam-Webster:

2 a : usually vulgar : a stupid, incompetent, or detestable person

Apply that to a few of the Assholes you know, and I'm sure you'll recognize a few characteristics.

Disclaimer: If you don't agree, or this explanation leads to undesirable circumstances in your personal a/o professional life, along with any other area of your existence not noted here, I a) am not responsible and b) owe you nothing. Any complaint filed as a result of said undesirable circumstances will result in a) loss of complainees place in heaven and b) ownership of said complainees soul ad infinitum.