Capt. JG wrote:
What I don't get is why people feel the need to lie about stuff like this.
It's so easy to check and it makes that person look like a loon.


I can think of a couple of reasons, although they're not
good ones.

1- the person has low self-esteem and few (or paltry)
real-life accomplishments to brag about, so he makes them up.

2- the person has a socially maladaptive behavior pattern of
lying about almost everything. Kids often develop this when
they realize that their parents don't really have eyes in
the backs of their heads, it becomes a game where lying to
mommy makes them feel powerful. The vast majority of kids
outgrow it.

DSK