Is it normal for people to lie about their success?

I work with a guy who has told some tall tales; he has claimed to work for the government before, and that he has created some cutting edge work in modern spam software and some other coding bullshit. He claims that he had his eye knocked out by the Russian mafia, but that they were able to put it back in. He claims to have done top secret work for the government, that he is close friends with Colin Powell, that he once played baseball professionally, that there is a building at Georgia Tech named after him (there isn't) and that he can safely retire right now and be set for life, but that his wife makes him work so that his kids may have some semblance of a 'normal' life or whatever. He has claimed to have 'survivor's guilt' and PTSD from successfully avoiding getting on the plane that terrorists crashed into the Twin Towers, and he drinks 2 liters of Mountain Dew everyday (I know this is true, I see him doing it) but that according to doctors, this middle-aged man has "the heart of a 25-year-old Olympic athlete." He is married and has two kids, this is true. He owns his own house in the suburbs and everything. Why does he make up these stories?

We work in a small, public library, btw - we're not in D.C. or anything, this is middle-of-nowhere bullshit land.

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100% Normal
Based on 4 votes
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Comments ( 7 )
  • kikilizzo

    Sounds like the typical narcissist or compulsive liar.
    My high school boyfriend was like that. He constantly made random things up to sound impressive in one way or another.

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  • darefu

    I've always found, those that talk and boast the most have done the least.

    I've know a few people irl, that as far as I'm concern had major accomplishments and lived a very exciting and rewarding life. They hardly ever said anything about it. On the other hand I've know a couple people that never left moms basement except to get fast food, but to listen to them they had single handedly solved the world's problems and we're God's gift to us earthlings.

    All you can do is lol!

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  • SkullsNRoses

    Sounds like a compulsive liar to me.

    My sisters know someone like this, one of her recent lies was that she was the top commission earner at her job and “couldn’t be fired”. She was fired a month later.

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  • ibrokemyds

    it’s normal if you’re a child but most people grow out of this kind of lying once they hit puberty

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  • hidden.hands

    Lmao I known a few co workers who lie to seem like the best worker in the crew.

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  • 1WeirdGuy

    Idk why ppl are like that. I knew a guy like that as well growing up.

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  • Iambillythemenacetosociety

    The better question is why people decide to lie about the goofiest shit that's so out there. You want to make up stuff about yourself? Fine. But at least make it believable.

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