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Friends Are Left Speechless As Almost Everything Their Friend Of 20 Years Told Them Was A Lie
A bearded man in a red beanie and denim shirt, smiling while talking to his best friend. Is he a pathological liar?

Friends Are Left Speechless As Almost Everything Their Friend Of 20 Years Told Them Was A Lie

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We never have the choice of picking our blood relatives, but since friends are the family we choose, we should obviously treasure them. That’s why I wholeheartedly agree with Carrie Bradshaw, who once famously said, “Friendships don’t magically last 40 years. You have to invest in them.”

Speaking of friendships, these women were scandalized that their childhood friend had been feeding them serious lies. His tales were so grave that they never thought it was fiction, so the realization hit them hard. Read on to uncover his web of deception that he built for many years!

More info: Reddit

RELATED:

    Trust is important for every bond, whether it be a romantic relationship or a friendship

    Image credits: halayalex / Freepik (not the actual photo)

    The poster had a best friend that she had known for 20 years, but she slowly uncovered that he had lied about everything in his life

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    Image credits: Bizon / Freepik (not the actual photo)

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    One of their other friends reached out to her, and the two uncovered that his work, violent husband, and even cancer diagnosis were all fake

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    Image credits: dikushin / Freepik  (not the actual photo)

    They were left speechless, but they reached out to his family, as they were concerned that there was something horribly wrong with him

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    A relative assured them that they were going to look out for him; meanwhile, the two women decided to go low-contact with the guy

    In today’s shocking tale, the original poster (OP) shares how she discovered the truth about her best friend (Dylan) of 20 years. He had always said things that didn’t add up, but OP just brushed them off as misunderstandings. However, one of their other friends (Sam) reached out to her. When the two got talking, they realized that his whole life had been a complete lie.

    It was a big shock for the two women as they had known him since school. The sad part was that Dylan had even spun stories about serious things. Some of them included where he stayed, his work, his physically violent “husband,” and even his terminal cancer diagnosis. When they reached out to some of his friends, they had all gone no-contact with him because of all these lies.

    First, they were under the impression that his violent relationship or cancer must have led him to lie. However, OP reached out to his so-called husband on Instagram, and the guy didn’t even know Dylan. Moreover, even his cancer diagnosis seemed to be fake. The two friends were at a complete loss, but realized there was something seriously wrong with him and that he needed help.

    The poster soon gave an update that they reached out to his relative, who confirmed that everything was fake. His family knew about his lying, but they were shocked to find out that it had gone to this extent. Well, OP and Sam realized that they couldn’t really do anything. They agreed to let his family take over and decided to go low-contact with him.

    Image credits: wayhomestudio / Freepik (not the actual photo)

    An expert argues that pathological liars lie for the same reasons that all of us do. “They see it as beneficial, they can accept the potential negative consequences of lying, and any internal feelings of shame or guilt don’t seem to be enough to stop them. The difference between them and the rest of us seems to be that they meet these three criteria much more often than the rest of us,” he adds.

    On the other hand, some researchers believe that pathological lying should be classified as a mental health disorder because, for some people, it’s a way of life. They believe that such people also fib for attention, and might tell anywhere between 5 and 20 lies on average every day. Well, Dylan definitely needs help, and netizens were glad his family was stepping in.

    Folks online sided with the poster and could also empathize with her and Sam’s decision to slowly end their friendship with him. After all, even studies show that over time, consistent deception leads to feelings of frustration, anger, hurt, and confusion. Moreover, it can evoke a sense of being gaslit, where one constantly questions the reality of the situation.

    Persistently feeling this way would definitely take a toll on anyone. Besides, OP and Sam’s whole lives were shaken, and they also “lost” a friend, in a sense. Obviously, that was not an easy thing to handle when they had known Dylan for 20 years. Well, I really hope he got treated. Don’t you agree? We would love to hear your thoughts, so drop them in the comments below!

    Netizens were aghast at their situation, and many empathized with why the two decided to go low-contact with the guy

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    Rutuja Dumbre

    Rutuja Dumbre

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    Hey, am Rutuja! A storyteller at heart and a writer at Bored Panda. I have a strange love for words, and I mostly survive on coffee which is the driving force behind my writing. I enjoy working on articles that purely entertain our readers. When am not writing or trekking, you can find me staying up late and watching all the matches of Football Club Barcelona!

    Read less »
    Rutuja Dumbre

    Rutuja Dumbre

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Hey, am Rutuja! A storyteller at heart and a writer at Bored Panda. I have a strange love for words, and I mostly survive on coffee which is the driving force behind my writing. I enjoy working on articles that purely entertain our readers. When am not writing or trekking, you can find me staying up late and watching all the matches of Football Club Barcelona!

    Monika Pašukonytė

    Monika Pašukonytė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    I am a visual editor here. In my free time I enjoy the vibrant worlds of art galleries, exhibitions, and soulful concerts. Yet, amidst life's hustle and bustle, I find solace in nature's embrace, cherishing tranquil moments with beloved friends. Deep within, I hold a dream close - to embark on a global journey in an RV, accompanied by my faithful canine companion. Together, we'll wander through diverse cultures, weaving precious memories under the starry night sky, fulfilling the wanderlust that stirs my soul.

    Read less »

    Monika Pašukonytė

    Monika Pašukonytė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    I am a visual editor here. In my free time I enjoy the vibrant worlds of art galleries, exhibitions, and soulful concerts. Yet, amidst life's hustle and bustle, I find solace in nature's embrace, cherishing tranquil moments with beloved friends. Deep within, I hold a dream close - to embark on a global journey in an RV, accompanied by my faithful canine companion. Together, we'll wander through diverse cultures, weaving precious memories under the starry night sky, fulfilling the wanderlust that stirs my soul.

    What do you think ?
    Kate Johnson
    Community Member
    Premium
    19 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I sincerely don't understand why you wouldn't just cut off a con man like this? Once you figure out what's going on, it's time to block and go no contact. No need for subtlety.

    Anna Barich
    Community Member
    16 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Con man is a bit of a stretch, considering OP didn't mention giving him money or anything else of value. To me it sounds like a mental issue, where lying is a compulsion, or he's possibly delusional. It's a deeply sad thing for longtime friends to come to the realization that someone has those types of issues, and I understand why OP and Sam have trouble with just walking away.

    Load More Replies...
    Sparky Hughes
    Community Member
    Premium
    15 hours ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My husband knew a guy like this. He fabricated his entire life. We found out later he was on the run for taking accident lawsuit money from 4 of 5 of his kids who were in an accident. Thank goodness we booked our rooms for a planned group vacation when he claimed he booked us a whole floor. My husband’s friend believed him but we convinced him to reserve a room. Welp, we all fly in and he ghosted us. Then someone called his sister and she told us the truth and he was living in a friend’s garage. LOL, this idiot was sending pictures of a mansion, a villa in France, super expensive cars, etc. He promised to buy all the wives designer bags and our bozo friend and his wife believed him. She had a $10K Chanel bag picked out. 🤣 He would have seriously screwed us since there was no vacancies. Who does that? It was absolutely wild. We still crack up every time we see a Chanel purse.

    Miriam Insidecor
    Community Member
    38 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Unfortunately, you can never trust someone like this. The relationship just needs to end.

    Load More Comments
    Kate Johnson
    Community Member
    Premium
    19 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I sincerely don't understand why you wouldn't just cut off a con man like this? Once you figure out what's going on, it's time to block and go no contact. No need for subtlety.

    Anna Barich
    Community Member
    16 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Con man is a bit of a stretch, considering OP didn't mention giving him money or anything else of value. To me it sounds like a mental issue, where lying is a compulsion, or he's possibly delusional. It's a deeply sad thing for longtime friends to come to the realization that someone has those types of issues, and I understand why OP and Sam have trouble with just walking away.

    Load More Replies...
    Sparky Hughes
    Community Member
    Premium
    15 hours ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My husband knew a guy like this. He fabricated his entire life. We found out later he was on the run for taking accident lawsuit money from 4 of 5 of his kids who were in an accident. Thank goodness we booked our rooms for a planned group vacation when he claimed he booked us a whole floor. My husband’s friend believed him but we convinced him to reserve a room. Welp, we all fly in and he ghosted us. Then someone called his sister and she told us the truth and he was living in a friend’s garage. LOL, this idiot was sending pictures of a mansion, a villa in France, super expensive cars, etc. He promised to buy all the wives designer bags and our bozo friend and his wife believed him. She had a $10K Chanel bag picked out. 🤣 He would have seriously screwed us since there was no vacancies. Who does that? It was absolutely wild. We still crack up every time we see a Chanel purse.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    Miriam Insidecor
    Community Member
    38 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Unfortunately, you can never trust someone like this. The relationship just needs to end.

    Load More Comments
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