History Main / ConsummateLiar

* In the ''{{Robocop}}'' TV series, Robocop comes equipped with an almost foolproof lie detector--so accurate it analyzes, among other things, facial tics that occur in less than a second. ''Almost'' in that, in one episode, they try to get a statement out of a career politician who is so good at his job that Robocop's lie detector is fooled, mere moments after having committed the crime.

* ''ShatteredGlass'' depicts Stephen Glass, the writer for ''The New Republic'', as something like this; he faked at least 21 of his 47 articles for the magazine in part or in total and got away with it for two years, and went to the extent of faking business cards, websites, email addresses and such for his sources. It's played with, however, in that his stories as published are immensely convincing; however, when his editor Charles Lane starts [[PullTheThread pulling the thread]] and confronting him about his stories face to face he immediately turns into something of a BadLiar, acting sweaty, whining and unconvincing, relying on {{Lame Excuse}}s and [[WoundedGazelleGambit playing the victim]].

* ''ShatteredGlass'' depicts Stephen Glass, the writer for ''The New Republic'', as something like this; he faked at least 21 of his 47 articles for the magazine in part or in total and got away with it for two years, and went to the extent of faking business cards, websites, email addresses and such for his sources. It's played with, however, in that his stories as published are immensely convincing; however, when his editor Charles Lane starts [[PullTheThread pulling the thread]] and confronting him about his stories face to face he immediately turns sweaty, whining and unconvincing, relying on {{Lame Excuse}}s and [[WoundedGazelleGambit playing the victim]].

Obviously, this is a handy talent for a villain to have if the hero group has a LivingLieDetector, although it can also come in quite handy for a hero who needs to fool the villain for a change. For obvious reasons, it is particularly useful if the LivingLieDetector believes that his or her ability is working, when it fact it is not. Conversely, a more [[MagnificentBastard flamboyant and audacious] ConsummateLiar might make blatantly false or contradictory statements to the LivingLieDetector just to show off. Will also use SelfServingMemory if it will suit his/her needs.

Obviously, this is a handy talent for a villain to have if the hero group has a LivingLieDetector, although it can also come in quite handy for a hero who needs to fool the villain for a change. For obvious reasons, it is particularly useful if the LivingLieDetector believes that his or her ability is working, when it fact it is not. Will also use SelfServingMemory if it will suit his/her needs.

* In the ''InheritanceCycle'', the Ancient Language carries the caveat that one cannot tell a lie while speaking it. The Elves speak it fluently, and so have the reputation of never telling a lie. Brom warns Eragon in the first book that this means that most of them have mastered the art of being Truth Twisters. Eragon tries his hand at this in the second book; when someone who broke his heart asks him (in the Language) how he is now, he tells her that he is "better than [he] was", referring to his healed back.

* The catholic order of the Jesuites became infamous for this. They developed a special mental technique to work around the "Thou shalt not lie" commandment, which worked like this: A Jesuit who was on a mission in a Protestant country (where they were forbidden for obvious reasons) who was asked "Are you a Jesuit?" was supposed to think of a specific Jesuit in Brussels (f.e.) and say "No, I am not ''a'' Jesuit" (as in "not that specific one" - true, but not what the asker had meant - "Are you a Jesuit in general?")

'''Revolver Ocelot:''' * shrugs* Practice.

--> "Me? I'm dishonest. And a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly, it's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly... stupid." – Captain Jack Sparrow

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* [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin The title character]] of StephenFry's ''The Liar''. (Who's an AuthorAvatar of the teenage Fry. [[IGotBetter He Got Better]].)

* Lampshaded to an extent in ''LawrenceOfArabia''; where Dryden (Claude Rains) responds to T.E. Lawrence's (Peter O'Toole) outburst that "There may be honour among theives, but there is none among polititians!" by noting, "If we've told lies, you've told half-lies. And the man who tells lies, like me, merely hides the truth. But the man who tells half-lies ''has forgotten where he put it''."

'''Sikozu''':Yes I can, Chiana. We all can.
'''Chiana''': Oh yeah? How do you know?
'''Sikozu''': You open your mouth, and words come out.

-->'''Azula:''' I'm a flying pink elephant.
** This also leads her to say, "I am a four-hundred foot purple platypus bear with pink horns and silver wings."

* [[{{LiarGame}} Akiyama]] does this so well that he can bring down entire corporations. Sure, he got tossed in j@�
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** Turns out he even lies in JOKES. When he's reading [[spoiler:in an airplane he knows will crash]], Jack asks him how he can read in this situation. Ben replies with the joke that he assumes Jack literally asks how he can read, and says "My mother taught me". That isn't even true since his mother [[DeathByChildbirth died giving birth to him]].

* In Randall Garrett's story ''The Best Policy'', the human protagonist is interrogated under a lie detector by aliens gathering intelligence for an invasion. He realizes that he can exploit their ignorance with [[LiteralGenie true but misleading statements]] (e.g. he says that human minds are capable of channeling certain physical energies to travel from place to place -- a literal description of walking that gives the impression that humans have the power of psychic teleportation). By the end of the questioning, he has them believing that humans are [[SufficientlyAdvancedAliens incredibly powerful beings]] and that he's only [[PlayAlongPrisoner humoring them them to be polite]].

* [[{{DeathNote}} Light Yagami]] pulls this off on Raye Penber ''and'' his fiance, Naomi Misora. End result: heart attack and ''suicide'', respectively. Actually given his track record, it's easier to [[IncrediblyLamePun Note]] who he didn't succeed with: [[spoiler:Just one single character - Near]].