Stop wasting my time please. The question is why does Trump lie so much?
When it comes to lying in politics, Donald Trump is in a class of his own. According to the
Washington Post, he made 30,573 false or misleading claims in his four years as president, increasing year-on-year from six per day in his first year to 39 per day in his fourth.
Although other presidents have lied to the public, none have lied like this. Some of Trump’s lies are trivial, and many are
self-aggrandising (“Nobody builds better walls than me”). Then there are his more egregious lies, like the one about the 2020
presidential election being “stolen” – demonstrably and dangerously contrary to the facts, with serious consequences for the nation and public trust.
And these lies can cut through. Research by political scientists Kevin Arceneaux and Roy Truex found that this
“big lie” about the stolen election was very “sticky”. Around 50% of Republican voters believed it, regardless of any emerging contrary evidence. The researchers also found that belief in this lie boosted Republican supporters’ self-esteem – as they weren’t “losers” after all.
Politicians who lie can gain a strategic advantage. If you can successfully embellish the truth or construct a new reality, this often tends to be more
interesting and engaging than the complicated truth. The truth may be a bit dull and uninspiring; the lie can be whatever you want it to be. You know what your audience wants to hear.
Politicians know that lying is part of our everyday lives. Research in psychology using
lie diaries tells us that people lie on average twice a day. Many are harmless “white” lies told for the benefit of others, but some are not so harmless and told for the benefit of the liar themselves.
Some people get significant pleasure from telling such self-centred lies. Psychologists call this
“duping delight”. It confuses the recipient of the lie, who expects to detect signs of guilt or anxiety. Instead, all they see is a faint smile of satisfaction. The liar gets away with it – that smile could mean anything.
Certain types of
personality are drawn to telling these sorts of lies, including those with little empathy, such as narcissists and psychopaths. They don’t care about the consequences for the recipient; it’s all about them.
And the ability to lie improves as our cognitive abilities develop. Like any skill, we get better at it with practice. While many adults still feel guilt when they don’t tell the truth, some politicians don’t appear to feel any guilt, shame or sadness at telling a lie.
Politicians sometimes lie because it confuses others and gives them pleasure.
theconversation.com
Read all about why Don lies constantly. And you believe it all. LOL