pathology of lying-第24章

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le　of　how　she　would　supply　details　from　her　fancy　is　the　following：　　The　picture　represents　a　little　girl　standing　by　the　side　of　an　older　person。　　Janet　said　it　was　a　little　boy；　that　he　had　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　a　muffler　on　his　neck；　a　stocking　cap　on　his　head；　and　black　shoes　and　stockings。　　All　of　these　were　voluntarily　offered　and　all　were　incorrect。

Beyond　this　curious　performance；　and　her　peculiar　lack　of　foresight　and　shrewdness；　or　whatever　it　is　that　causes　her　so　readily　to　falsify　and　fabricate；　we　found　not　the　slightest　evidence　of　aberration。　　Her　conversation　was　coherent　and　to　the　point。

In　the　information　obtained　from　the　intelligent　parents　the　following　points　stand　out　clearly。　　The　heredity　is　of　interest。　　There　has　been　no　known　case　of　feeblemindedness；　insanity；　or　epilepsy　on　either　side；　but　there　is　a　great　admixture　of　very　good　with　quite　unstable　qualities。　　This　is　true　of　both　sides。　　Some　members　of　the　family　have　taken　high　positions　in　the　community；　and　been　exceptionally　endowed　mentally。　　Others　have　been　notoriously　lacking　in　stability。　　We　are　informed　that　on　one　side　some　have　shown　a　marked　inclination　for　tampering　with　the　truth；　and　it　is　suggested　that　Janet's　tendency　is　the　result　of　early　influence。　　The　care　of　an　incompetent　grandmother；　whose　word　was　notoriously　untrustworthy；　devolved　upon　the　family　and　it　was　impossible　to　prevent　Janet　from　being　much　with　her。　　All　of　the　children　were　aware　of　the　old　lady's　untruthfulness。　　One　of　Janet's　parents　had　been　addicted　to　narcotics；　but　had　managed　to　shake　off　the　habit。　　The　other　parent　has　had　a　severe　attack　of　‘‘nervous　prostration；''　largely　induced；　it　is　maintained；　by　worry　over　family　affairs。　　It　is　most　interesting　to　note　that　the　other　children；　two　boys　and　one　girl；　have　turned　out　remarkably　well；　two　being　university　graduates；　and　all　being　very　stable　in　character。　　Both　parents　are　people　of　good　moral　ideals；　and　in　spite　of　their　own　nervous　defects　have　given　their　children　very　good　care。

The　pregnancy　with　Janet　was　not　entirely　healthy；　but　no　worse　than　with　the　other　children。　　Her　birth　and　infancy　were　normal。　　Walked　and　talked　early。　　Started　to　school　at　6。　　Menstruated　first　at　13；　not　irregular。　　She　never　had　any　severe　illnesses　of　any　kind。　　As　a　child　she　once　fell　down　some　steps　and　was　unconscious　for　a　few　minutes；　but　the　accident　was　not　known　to　have　left　any　bad　effects。　　Janet's　own　stories　of　fainting　are　much　exaggerated。　　In　fact；　the　mother　has　never　really　seen　her　faint；　nor　is　there　any　evidence　of　any　minor　lapses　of　consciousness。　　At　times　the　girl　would　feel　faint　and　ask　that　water　be　poured　on　her　foreheadthat　was　all　there　was　to　it。　　She　was　removed　in　the　middle　of　her　high　school　course　on　account　of　general　nervousness。　　The　doctor　felt　she　was　working　too　hard。　　Her　parents　are　sure　she　was　never　a　great　sufferer　from　headaches。　　Nothing　else　of　importance　could　be　found　in　her　physical　history。　

The　story　of　this　girl's　falsifications　and　fabrications　as　obtained　from　her　people　is　exceedingly　long。　　As　a　young　child　she　was　not　over…indulged　in　fairy　stories；　and　the　parents　noticed　nothing　peculiar　about　her　then。　　She　was　not　regarded　as　a　child　who　had　any　unusual　powers　of　imagination。　　Somewhere　about　12　years　of　age；　her　parents　cannot　be　certain　just　when；　they　noticed　she　began　the　exaggeration　and　lying　which　has　continued　more　or　less　ever　since。　　In　the　past　two　or　three　years　this　has　grown　upon　her　and　she　has　been　making　not　only　untrue　statements；　but　has　been　concocting　peculiarly　long　and　intricate　fabrications。　　The　curious　thing　to　the　family　is　that　Janet　seems　to　have　little　shrewdness　in　lying；　of　normal　ability　in　other　things；　she　seems　to　have　the　mind　of　a　child　in　this。　　Very　many　deceptions　are　discovered　in　short　order；　but　even　then　the　girl　will　sometimes　argue　at　length　that　what　she　has　said　was　really　the　truth。　　The　parents　insist　she　must　know　that　she　is　lying；　but　her　anomalous　behavior　has　been　so　excessive　that　they　have　long　felt　she　should　be　studied　by　a　psychiatrist。　　Her　mother　asserts　there　is　some　periodicity　in　Janet's　tendencies。　　She　maintains　she　has　noticed　that　most　of　her　lies　are　told　in　the　two　or　three　days　preceding　menstruation。　　（This　was　certainly　not　true　during　the　period　we　observed　the　girl。）　　The　parents　are　sure　there　has　never　been　any　particular　mental　shock；　and　the　mother　has　always　felt　that　Janet　was　particularly　free　from　contamination　by　bad　children。　　At　times　she　seems　to　realize　her　own　bad　behavior；　and　not　long　ago　said　she　would　become　a　nun；　for　in　the　tranquil　life　of　the　convent　her　tendency　to　lying　would　not　be　stimulated。

Further　inquiry　brought　out　the　fact　that　it　was　true；　as　Janet　stated；　that　in　her　high　school　course　she　became　nervous　to　the　extent　of　jerking　and　twitching；　and　that　also　for　a　time　she　stuttered。　　Their　physician　said；　however；　that　there　was　no　definite　nervous　disease。

As　a　young　child　the　parents　never　thought　this　girl　in　any　way　different　from　the　rest　of　the　family。　　As　she　grew　older　she　has　been　regarded　as　physically　the　most　robust；　but；　as　she　stated　to　us；　she　has　done　the　poorest　intellectual　work　and　that　has　often　been　a　matter　of　family　comment。　　The　other　children　are　careful　truth　tellers。

The　type　of　Janet's　lying　has　been　not　only　in　the　form　of　falsifications　about　matters　which　directly　concerned　herself；　but　also　involved　extensive　manufacture　of　long　stories；　phantasies。　　Meeting　people　she　might　give　them　extensive　accounts　of　the　wealth　and　importance　of　her　own　family。　　She　once　spread　the　report　that　her　sister　was　married　and　living　in　a　fine　home　close　by；　giving　many　elaborate　details　of　the　new　household。　　Such　stories　naturally　caused　much　family　embarrassment。　　Then　she　worked　up　an　imaginary　entertainment　and　gave　invitations　to　her　brothers　and　sister　at　the　request　of　a　pretended　hostess。　　Just　before　the　event　she；　simulating　the　hostess；　telephoned　that　an　accident　had　taken　place　and　the　party　would　not　be　given。　　An　extremely　delicate　situation　arose　because　she　alleged　a　certain　young　man　wanted　to　marry　her。　　The　truth　of　her　assertions　in　this　matter　never　was　investigated。　　The　parents　felt　it　quite　impossible　to　go　to　the　young　man　about　the　facts　on　account　of　the　danger　of　exposing　their　daughter。　　They　were　long　embarrassed　by　the　extent　to　which　she　kept　this　affair　going；　but　it　finally　was　dropped　without　any　social　scandal　occurring。　　In　this　and　other　affairs　the　family　situation　was　at　times　unbearable　because　of　the　possibility　that　there　might　be　some　truth　underlying　the　girl's　statements。　　As　the　years　went　on　Janet；　of　course；　suffered　from　her　loss　of　reputation；　but　still　continued　her　practices　of　lying。　　In　the　two　years　before　she　left　home　she　worked　as　a　clerk。　　Previously　she　had　held　two　or　three　situations　and　was　reported　to　give　good　satisfaction　in　her　work；　but　something　would　always　come　up　about　money　matters；　or　other　things；　which　would　finally　give　rise　to　trouble。　　It　is　not　known　that　she　ever　really　took　any　money　except　the　last　time　when　she　ran　away　and　took　a　considerable　sum　from　her　parents。

A　period　of　extensive　untruthfulness　and　deception　occurred　before　she　left　home。　　Janet　represented　to　her　parents　that　she　was　working　at　a　certain　place　after　she　had　left。　　She　got　into　some　mix…up　about　money　matters；　the　rights　of　which　never　were　straightened　out。　　As　usual；　the　affair　was　too　complicated　to　be　understood　by　anything　short　of　a　prolonged　investigation。　　After　things　had　come　to　this　pass　and　her　parents　hardly　knew　what　to　do　with　her；　she　took　money　from　them　and　ran　away。　　She　was　readily　traced　because　the　ticket　agent　in　her　home　town　could　give　a　description　of　her。　　She　had　bought　a　ticket　to　an　intermediate　point　and　there　stopped　over　night。　　Her　father　followed　her　thus　far。　　It　seems　when　she　finally　got　to　New　York　she　hunted　up　the　distant　relatives　who　took　her　in　and　informed　the　mother。　　The　girl　intended　to　earn　her　own　living　and　soon　found　a　good　place。　　She　was　always　able　to　make　a　good　presentation