Lies and Lying Liars 0
Psychologist Christian Hart has studied lies and liars for over a decade. He proposes a three-factor theory to explain when and why persons lie. In the light of the proliferation of perfidy in the polity, methinks his piece is worth a look.
Here are the three factors; follow the link for a discussion of each and the interplay among them.
1. The perceived utility of lying.
2. The perceived external disutility risk of lying (the probability and consequences of being detected) is acceptable.
3. The perceived internal disutility of lying (guilt, regret, shame) is acceptable.
Aside:
It seems to me that, as a corollary, if one is incapable of shame, one might have an infinite capacity for lying.
Not that anyone like that might be in our public lif–oh, never mind.
