Liar Liar genes on fire!!! Is it All In The Family?

I have been saying for years that I think there is a "liar’s gene". The reason I became interested in this is because i believe my nephew inherited being a sneaky liar from his Mother. My Brother-in-Law and his x split up when he was almost 5 years old because she, basically, left them for drugs.

Before the drugs, she was an o.k. person, and a good mother, but she was a major liar. She would lie about anything and everything, for no good reason. It seemed like she just enjoyed making stuff up. I figured her out very quickly, and never even had any desire to call her out on her lies, I just felt kind of bad for her.

From age 5 to 11 I spent a lot of time with my nephew. Over those years I would catch him in lies, but I didn't think too much of it, just figured it was kid stuff. My brother-in-law moved the 2 of them away when my nephew was 11, and today he is 15. His Dad and I stay in touch with each other, and from what he has been telling me over the years, his son is a completely sneaky, little liar!!

I know people can learn to be this way from their parents, but could he of learned that much deception as a 5 year old? I did some hunting around to see if I was right, and it is genetic, but I'm still not sure. From what I have read, I'm sure they have figured out that the liars brains are different from others. But I can't find anywhere where it's been proven to be genetic.

Here are a couple links.
Liars' Brains Wired Differently

This one is the only one I could find about a genetic disposition to lying, and a drug to help people with it. It was interesting, but I don't know what to make of it. It seems sketchy to me, especially because I can't find anything else about this gene. NEW MEDICATION FOR CONGENITAL LIARS

Ok, well, that's all I have to say about that

Seems like a good idea, except that messing with the pre-frontal cortex like that could disrupt other very important things like judgment and impulse control.

You know who else has more white matter than average? Really smart people. Sounds like a convenient to dumb down the smarties, maybe the ones who ask too many questions. Certainly not saying that it's for that, but that it could be abused that way.

I have some shocking news for you. Everybody is a liar and anybody who claims they are not, is a lair. Some people consider it a social lubricant. Personally Id rather insult somebody than lie, but i still find myself doing it. You are a liar too, if you think you are not, your deluding yourself. And yes, a 5 year old will mimic their parent. My wife will be driving and she will curse in the traffic and ive heard my 3 year old 'learn' a new word which he'll continue to use for weeks until he forgets it from a single instance.

Although I agree genetics does set limitations on people, just about all behavior is learned.
I think what your nephew what the kids mother may be is just plain stupid to think anybody buys her lies and the kid probably just see's this as normal behavior.

reply to post by Gravity215


I have some shocking news for you too, I wasn't shocked to hear "everyone lies". I thought it was obvious that I was talking about pathological liars, people who lie so much it's considered a disorder. I also didn't mention that my nephew hasn't spent any time with his mother since before his 5th birthday. Because I have 3 children of my own, I understand that 2-4 year olds mimic their parents language and mannerisms. I just have a hard time believing that a 4 year old could be so well aware of a parents deceptive behavior that it's engraved into that child’s personality permanently.

And yes, I do lie, but very seldomly. If you were to ask me what my best quality is, I'd say its honesty. If you were to ask me my worst quality, it's brutal honesty. I have a VERY hard time sugar coating and making crap up just to make people feel better.

Environment has a big part to play in how the brain wires itself, with parents that lie and getting more encouragement rather than discipline for the kids lies, he ain't got much chance. By the age of 5 a lot of the damage is already done in terms of moral, values and capability to lie. The brain is flexible and able to change, but it will take a lot to put an end to pathological lying.