An Expert Liar - Until The Truth Prevails?Psychologists says everyone lies several times a day, but Casey Anthony may be on the way to a "Guinness" World's Record in lying.
A key survival trait is the ability to manipulate the expectations of others. Most of us do it in small ways all the time. Casey Anthony is the master of lying about everything.
Robert Feldman of the University of Massachusetts discovered the most effective liars were often the most popular. Witnesses in the Casey murder trial unanimously tell prosecutors she is outgoing and happy, a "normal" fun-loving girl, not to mention an attractive female.
Pathological liars tell a lot of lies, but end up getting caught eventually. Prisons are full of bad liars. Anthony may be one of those, she lied every time she opened her mouth, pundits are fond of saying.
To be a successful liar one must save the lie until it will get them something they really want. The more one lies, the more difficult to make the fabrications believable. Anthony just told too many lies.
The best liars tell the truth, but only a half truth. It's harder to get caught that way. Casey's stories about her job as an event planner at Universal Studios, tales about Zanny the nanny, the "friends" she told investigators about, and visits to other cities as told to her family, were all just completely false. And eventually detectives were able to show the stories as total fabrications.
Good liars have to get inside the head of the listener. Casey did a fairly good job of that. She could get away with lying about her whereabouts to family. But she did an awful job after professional investigators got involved. Orange county Sheriff's detectives were not fooled for long after being told fantastic stories of Anthony's whereabouts, and where daughter Caylee was supposed to be.
Great liars do a good job of keeping the "facts" straight. Casey was pretty good at spinning detailed stories including names and relationships among her fantasy friends and colleagues. She seemed to keep things straight by using cues of real names and locations, using real details inside her made-up stories, helping her remember the details of the fabricated stories she told.
She is also good at "quick thinking," making up new details on the spot when questioned. Her family and friends seemed fairly gullible, but the detectives were not, as she added explanations for things that just didn't seem right.
Successful liars keep their composure, staying committed and steadfast to their stories. No matter what even experienced detectives said to Anthony, she stuck with her story no matter what proof was shown she was lying.
Manipulation is a key skill for an expert liar. Anthony easily got her family, and strangers to search for the missing daughter, notwithstanding there seemed to be no Zanny the nanny to be found anywhere. The Anthony family was making multi-state investigations, and raising money to find the child and only gave up looking for the mysterious babysitter 8 weeks ago.
Casey Anthony was ultimately able to convince a legal defense team to work on her behalf pro bono. And presumably they were convinced the child accidentally drowned, and was not murdered as the prosecution charges. They also presumably believe Anthony was a sexual abuse victim.
It may be that Anthony learned her skills as a teenager, to escape punishment for misbehavior or to get something her parent's or others forbid. She learned to get out of trouble or obtain something by a lie.
And liars will blame others when cornered. Anthony's defense is her father and brother abused her as a child, her mother was controlling, and father was a "cop" not a father.
When Caylee dies by "accident," it relieves her of responsibility. She says didn't call the police because she was afraid of the resulting anger from parents, choosing to look for Caylee on her own so she couldn't be blamed by her parents.
When Caylee dies by "accident," it relieves her of responsibility. She says didn't call the police because she was afraid of the resulting anger from parents, choosing to look for Caylee on her own so she couldn't be blamed by her parents.
And she blames the police for not looking hard and far enough for Zanny the babysitter, and blames them for failing to examine the family swimming pool for evidence of the accidental drowning she claims happened.
Casey Antony, a liar that made too many mistakes. Whether the result of a dysfunctional family, sexual abuse, or habits of lying picked up while an adolescent, the lies have finally caught up with Anthony, causing great pain to everyone around her.
Casey Antony, a liar that made too many mistakes. Whether the result of a dysfunctional family, sexual abuse, or habits of lying picked up while an adolescent, the lies have finally caught up with Anthony, causing great pain to everyone around her.
Casey Anthony is a textbook sociopath. Compulsive and elaborate lying is part of sociopathy. It's pretty simple, actually:
ReplyDeleteCommon features of descriptions of the behavior of sociopaths:
Glibness and Superficial Charm
Manipulative and Conning - They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.
Grandiose Sense of Self - Feels entitled to certain things as "their right."
Pathological Lying - Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests.
Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt - A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.
Shallow Emotions - When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.
Incapacity for Love
Need for Stimulation - Living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuity and gambling are common.
Callousness/Lack of Empathy - Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.
Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature - Rage and abuse, alternating with small expressions of love and approval produce an addictive cycle for abuser and abused, as well as creating hopelessness in the victim. Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others.
Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency - Usually has a history of behavioral and academic difficulties, yet "gets by" by conning others. Problems in making and keeping friends; aberrant behaviors such as cruelty to people or animals, stealing, etc.
Irresponsibility/Unreliability - Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed.
Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity - Promiscuity, child sexual abuse, rape and sexual acting out of all sorts.
Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle - Tends to move around a lot or makes all encompassing promises for the future, poor work ethic but exploits others effectively.
Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility - Changes their image as needed to avoid prosecution. Changes life story readily.
Other Related Qualities:
Contemptuous of those who seek to understand them
Does not perceive that anything is wrong with them
Authoritarian
Secretive
Paranoid
Only rarely in difficulty with the law, but seeks out situations where their tyrannical behavior will be tolerated, condoned, or admired
Conventional appearance
Goal of enslavement of their victim(s)
Exercises despotic control over every aspect of the victim's life
Has an emotional need to justify their crimes and therefore needs their victim's affirmation (respect, gratitude and love)
Ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim
Incapable of real human attachment to another
Unable to feel remorse or guilt
Extreme narcissism and grandiose
May state readily that their goal is to rule the world
(The above traits are based on the psychopathy checklists of H. Cleckley and R. Hare.)
I was just going to comment, interesting story Don but you left out the obvious. She probably has mental issues. Could be Sociopathic, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, etc. Some people have a combination of diagnosis.
ReplyDeleteShe Chloroformed her own kid, so she could go out partying without any responsibility as an adult or parent. That would be the Narcissistic, lack of normal 'adult' development part. It could be the death was accidental, but the way she covered it up for weeks and lied pathologically repeatedly shows a distinct pathology of her own. She did oddly show some love as a parent, by 'kissing' the protective wrapping found around her child. But it also reveals a lack of remorse or realization of consequences on her part, of what she did.
Not sure I would go so far as to claim she's Psychopathic, as that involves an actual break with reality and delusions, voices, etc. She doesn't seem to have those symptoms and lives in the real world. I am guessing more along the lines of Sociopathic and Narcissistic Personality Disorder. She either lies because she has no right or wrong, or actually believes her own lies. Either way is pretty serious. She lives outside the rules of Society-the classic definition of a Sociopath.
IT'S TOO BAD THE STATE OF FLORIDA WILL HAVE TO FOOT THE BILL OF LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR HER BECAUSE SHE'S NOT WORTH IT BUT THEY WILL NEVER GET THE DEATH PENALTY.
ReplyDelete"Not sure I would go so far as to claim she's Psychopathic, as that involves an actual break with reality and delusions, voices, etc. "
ReplyDeleteYou are confusing Psychopathic Disorder with Psychosis. They are two very different things. Psychopathic disorder is similar to Sociopathic Disorder. The terms are often interchangeable although some professionals differentiate. Psychopaths are usually considered those who enjoy inflicting pain and suffering, sociopaths are indifferent to it. Sociopaths won't go out of their way to hurt people unless they will somehow benefit from it. She seems like a text book sociopath to me.
opinion: possibly she was using zanax or chloroform to put her child to sleep so she could party and maybe stayed away too long, or gave her too much so that when she did get home she couldn't wake her up and panicked and then put duct tape over her mouth to keep her from possibly waking up and screaming. only GOD knows for sure what happened, we may never know. I feel so sorry for her mother and dad.
ReplyDeleteIn the last paragraph you used the name "Caylee"...did you mean Casey?
ReplyDeleteYou are correct. Thanks for pointing that out.
ReplyDeleteOpinion: Casey has a lack of self identity, her behaviour/personality being developed by her surroundings rather than within ones self. She is somewhat attractive skipping from one guy to the next. Once she met this New York "DJ" kid she snapped and became infatuated dropping in an absolute manner anything she was responsible for, mainly that being her daughter. I'm not sure (but I'm curious to) what her popularity was in high school as she seems to behave like someone making up for not being as popular as she would have liked as a teen.
ReplyDeleteHer lies are going to be her total undoing -- she will be found guilty and sentenced to death. Too many lies - and the defense is trying too hard to use her lies to their advantage...not working out too well, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteMaybe daddy did it.
ReplyDeleteShe has obviously hit on 90 percent of the sociopath check list. The way she turned on her father ... and anyone else would have broken down and confessed IF there was any chance this death was accidental.
ReplyDeleteI think the person I live with may be a sociopath but I'm not sure because I suffer from mental illness and don't know whether what I think is valid or not. I know he cheats on me, I recently found evidence that he picks up hookers and he lies incessantly without remorse about his finances, extra cirricular activities ect. When I confront him he uses my mental status against me to convince me I am imagining things or that I somehow drove him to do the anti-social things he does. He's also totally addicted to porn and lies about it even though I constantly find his deleted cookies. When confronted he becomes verbally threatening towards me. Is he a sociopath?
ReplyDeleteps: His family enables him like you wouldn't believe. He has them all convinced that anything he does wrong is "my fault".