Lying, Cheating, and Carrying On: Developmental, Clinical, and Sociocultural Aspects of Dishonesty and Deceit

by Salman Akhtar, Henri Parens, Harold Blum (Contribution by), Gail Edelsohn (Contribution by), Ruth M. S. Fischer (Contribution by)

Overview

What constitutes a lie? What are the different types of lies? Why do people lie? Is dishonesty ubiquitous in human experience? And what should be done with individuals who seek pschotherapeutic help and yet can not reveal important aspects of their lives and even fabricate histories, associations, and dreams? Such questions form the backbone of this exceptional book. Starting with the emergence of the capacity to lie in childhood and the formative influence of the family in children's moral development, the discourse goes on to include the variety of adulthood lies, including social lies, existential lies, pathological lies, narcissistic lies, and sociopathic lies. Contributions from distinguished psychoanalysts like Salman Akhtar, Harold Blum, Ruth Fischer, Lucy LaFarge, Henri Parens, and Michael Stone, along with others, explore the impact of dishonesty on the internal and external realities of an individual. Malignant forms of lies involving serious character pathology and criminality, as well as their detection, are also discussed. The book's aim is to help therapists enhance their empathy with patients who are compelled to lie and to provide them with better therapeutic strategies to deal with the clinical dilemmas that arise in working with such children and adults.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442202696
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	02/12/2009
Series:	Margaret S Mahler (jar)
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	180
File size:	712 KB

About the Author

Salman Akhtar is professor of psychiatry at Jefferson Medical College and training and supervising analyst at the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia. Henri Parens is professor of psychiatry at Jefferson Medical College and Training and Supervising Analyst at the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 1. Lies, Liars, and Lying: An Introductory Overview
Chapter 2 2. What It Takes to Tell a Lie
Chapter 3 3. Developmental Aspects of Lying
Chapter 4 4. Authentication, Imposture, and Malicious Deception
Chapter 5 5. Where Does the Truth Lie?
Chapter 6 6. Lying and Deceitfulness in Personality Disorders
Chapter 7 7. Dishonesty and Its Detection
Chapter 8 8. Sociocultural Perspectives on Dishonesty and Lying
Chapter 9 9. Cultures of Dishonesty: From Hidden Cancers and Concealed Selves to Politics and Poker
Chapter 10 10. Distortion of Truth: From White Lies to Mass Murder

Editorial Reviews

Lying, Cheating, and Carrying On adds substantially to these insights, bringing to light a variety of unconscious motives that cause otherwise moral individuals to engage in acts of deception.... The achievement of this book is its attempt to unify these individuals within one general framework, one that is at once sensitive to unconscious motivation, cognitive and developmental capacities, and sociocultural influences.

Division 39 Newsletter

From fibs to forgery, from Pinocchio to serial killers, this fascinating volume begins with a disturbing truth—deception is ubiquitous in human beings. The spectrum of deception is examined from multiple perspectives ranging from child development to politics. This insightful book will help mental health professionals confront the often insurmountable challenge inherent in treating lying and deceptive patients.

Axel Hoffer M.D.

While modes of deception are observed in the animal world, the capacity for lying requires language and forethought, the great human achievements. This meticulously edited volume offers us an in depth exploration of this often overlooked aspect of our minds. It is an invaluable guide to all clinicians in search of the truth. No lie!

Ira Brenner

Lying, Cheating, and Carrying On adds substantially to these insights, bringing to light a variety of unconscious motives that cause otherwise moral individuals to engage in acts of deception.... The achievement of this book is its attempt to unify these individuals within one general framework, one that is at once sensitive to unconscious motivation, cognitive and developmental capacities, and sociocultural influences.--Division 39 Newsletter

While modes of deception are observed in the animal world, the capacity for lying requires language and forethought, the great human achievements. This meticulously edited volume offers us an in depth exploration of this often overlooked aspect of our minds. It is an invaluable guide to all clinicians in search of the truth. No lie!--Ira Brenner, M.D., Jefferson Medical College

From fibs to forgery, from Pinocchio to serial killers, this fascinating volume begins with a disturbing truth--deception is ubiquitous in human beings. The spectrum of deception is examined from multiple perspectives ranging from child development to politics. This insightful book will help mental health professionals confront the often insurmountable challenge inherent in treating lying and deceptive patients.--Axel Hoffer M.D., Harvard Medical School

From the Publisher

From fibs to forgery, from Pinocchio to serial killers, this fascinating volume begins with a disturbing truth—deception is ubiquitous in human beings. The spectrum of deception is examined from multiple perspectives ranging from child development to politics. This insightful book will help mental health professionals confront the often insurmountable challenge inherent in treating lying and deceptive patients.

Axel Hoffer