Liars' Brains Wired Differently

[nkt]

I agree that this doesn't make any attempt to split cause from effect.

 

Taxi drivers in London (presumably those who don't use a GPS yet) have an enlarged area in the brain, which is believed to relate to mapping and spatial orientation. However, it is not clear that the driving to a specific location requested all day did this, or whether those with larger mapping ability areas are the people who were more likely to pass "The Knowledge" in order to get a black cab license. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Knowledge#The_Knowledge has a fair bit about it, and says

"It is the world's most demanding training course for taxicab-drivers; and applicants will usually need at least 12 'Appearances' (attempts at the final test), after preparation averaging 34 months, to pass the examination."

so it is, in my opinion, very likely that a vast number of people are unable to pass this test, and therefore we would expect to see a large number of those good at mapping passing, vs. those bad at mapping.

 

I see no reason why lying or anything else would be different. Next they will be linking that same study to IQ and EQ. In fact, I'm rather suprised they didn't, since better crosslinking in the brain probably would show a correlation, especially since liars who are successful in life have to be smart, as dumb liars get caught out quickly, and are then forever at a disadvantage.

[moo]

Fascinating info. :)

 

I have an older sibling that lies to a ridiculous degree, and it's always been a mystery (and a huge source of frustration) to the rest of the family. Although we love this person dearly, we absolutely cannot trust anything they say.

 

Often the lies are for no apparent reason whatsoever, just stupid stuff that doesn't even affect anything. But of course, there are also the ones that do. B)

 

Perhaps this article explains a bit.

 

moo

[Racoon]

*bump

 

I think politicians and media brainwashers have this type of brain re-routing.

Its a *gift*

 

:)

[ryan2006]

Are the blues brothers liars?

[HydrogenBond]

Another way to look at this data is that it tells us something about the difference between white matter and gray matter. Gray matter appears to be connected to fixed structural memory. The honest person repeats hard data that is verifiable. The white matter appears to be memory in flux that has yet to reach steady state. This is what the liar does. His rendition of events are changeable to the occations and stay in flux, not reaching steady state as easily or ever.

 

With respect to imagination and creativity, before new things are well understood, they need to stay in flux to cover all the newest angles. Too much gray matter, would induce one to reduce the novel to steady state much quicker. This is better for concensus thinking. Consensus thinking is sort of the "current truth" (best we know for certain). Whereas, imaginative thinking and white matter sort of lies with respect to this "current truth", because it ignors it, seeking a future truth.

 

For example, when people began to imagine the earth was round, this was a lie to the then current truth that the world was flat. The gray matter dominant could see the lie and tried to surpress it. Nowadays, the lie of 500 years ago is the current truth due to the white matter thinkers of 500 years ago.

 

Social liars are a little different in that they are not looking for future truth but are distorting reality for the sake of manipulation.