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My best friend lies to everyone about his hookups, income & influencer status. How do I deal with this?
Hi Jake,My best friend and I have known each other for over ten years. We met in high school when we were both closeted, and I consider him almost like a brother. That said, he has a quirk that really bothers me. He lies about the dumbest things for no reason, and I don’t know why.Subscribe to our daily newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.Whenever we’re out with friends, he constantly makes up stories about how many guys he hooks up with, and even shows us pictures of all the super hot men he allegedly chats with online. Without sounding like a complete jerk, there’s just NO WAY he’s hooking up with all these guys, the main reason being that they’re way out of his league.He also tells people that he makes six figures as an influencer, but I know for a fact this isn’t true because he has a day job working in retail. Also, I’m pretty sure you need a lot more than 1,000 followers to rake in that kind of money “influencing.”Recently, I heard him telling someone he’s “shopping for a condo” but hasn’t found anything he likes yet because he’s “too picky”, but I also know this isn’t true because he just signed a new lease on his apartment and, as far as I know, he’s never met with a realtor.Whenever he lies, I always feel awkward because I don’t want to support his dishonestly but I also don’t want to call him out and make it awkward, especially when we’re in a group setting. Do you have any tips for how to handle a compulsive liar in your life?Truth SeekerDear Truth Seeker,Dropping an occasional white lie in a weak moment is one thing, but going full Saltburn in order to create an entire new persona in your friend group definitely throws up some red flags.