ABSTRACT
Regardless of its form, deception arises from trauma and causes suffering to self and others. A common denominator in various types of deception is the existence of a lie. While antisocial personality disorder is readily associated with mendacity and deception, the fact is that other severe personality disorders are also prone to lying. Such vulnerability to distorting facts in external reality is overdetermined. In delineating the concept of “false self”, D. W. Winnicott acknowledged that, to a certain extent, reactive and even inauthentic behaviour is inevitable and might even be necessary for harmonious living with others. Politeness, good manners, and “white lies” that preclude ruptures of interpersonal fabric thus become integral to culture. Lying and deception are also rampant in communication and journalism. Lies, distortions of truth, and deliberate withholding of information might enter the treatment as a form of narcissistic resistance and a ploy to keep one’s shame-laden aspects hidden from the therapist.
