Compulsive lying is an act by a person who compulsively or impulsively lies on a regular basis and is unable to control their lying despite inevitable negative consequences or ultimate discovery of the lie. Generally, lies told by a pathological liar have self-defeating qualities to them and don’t help with the long-term material needs of the person. Therefore, pathological lying is lying that is caused by a pathology, occurs on a regular basis, is compulsive or impulsive uncontrolled, and has a self-defeating, self-trapping quality to it.