Chronic Liar Brother Faces Consequences As Man Rejects Parents’ Plea To Help Outright

A man’s trust crumbled under his younger brother’s relentless lies that began in childhood, framing him for thefts, cheating, and rule-breaking he never committed. The cruelty peaked when the brother falsely claimed he had secretly fathered and abandoned a child, destroying a three-year relationship just as they moved in together. Devastated, the man severed all ties, declaring his brother dead to him and vowing never to forgive.

Fifteen years passed. He built a happy marriage and raised four children while keeping distance from his enabling parents. Then tragedy struck: the brother’s wife died suddenly, his web of deceit unraveled, costing him his home, job, and nearly his kids. Desperate parents begged the man to reconcile and assist, accusing him of abandoning innocent nieces and nephews. He refused outright, insisting his brother finally reap what he sowed.

Man refuses to help a chronically dishonest brother facing life consequences.

Pathological lying, often called compulsive or habitual lying, involves telling falsehoods frequently, sometimes without any clear benefit.

As psychiatrist Charles Ford explains in Psychology Today, pathological liars may slide easily from the notion that something could have happened to the conviction that it did, with words flowing without much thought. This behavior can strain family bonds deeply, as trust erodes over time.

From one side, the Redditor’s perspective is understandable: years of being targeted by lies, culminating in one that destroyed a relationship, led to a complete cutoff for self-protection. The brother’s actions show a pattern that didn’t stop in adulthood, impacting his own marriage and family.

On the flip side, parents often hope for harmony and worry about grandchildren, using emotional appeals to bridge gaps. Yet enabling unchecked behavior early on can allow issues to grow, as some experts note lying patterns sometimes root in family dynamics.

Broadening out, chronic dishonesty affects relationships widely. Research shows pathological lying may occur in 8-13% of people based on self-identification in studies, leading to greater distress and impaired functioning. It can tie into broader issues like personality traits or past experiences, complicating family interactions.

Psychologists Drew A. Curtis and Christian L. Hart, experts in deception research, describe pathological lying as such: “…the criteria for pathological lying is people who tell an excessive amount of lies and that impairs their functioning, brings about distress and poses some kind of risk of danger to themselves or others.

This captures the compulsive nature, where deception continues despite clear negative impacts.

This aligns closely with the story. The brother’s repeated lies destroyed relationships, his marriage, and job, leading to isolation and hardship, yet the pattern persisted without apparent remorse or change.

Neutral ground? Setting boundaries protects one’s own well-being and family, especially with children involved. Offering help conditionally, like through professionals or limited support for the kids, could be options, but no one owes reconciliation without genuine change. Therapy for all parties might uncover roots and foster understanding

Here’s the feedback from the Reddit community:

Some people argue that the parents enabled the brother’s bad behavior and neglected OP, so they have no right to guilt-trip now.

Some people emphasize that OP is protecting their own family and that the brother is not OP’s responsibility.

Some people feel sympathy for the brother’s children but agree they are not OP’s obligation, especially as a package with the brother.

After years of fallout from unchecked dishonesty, this Redditor’s refusal to step in feels like a long-overdue boundary in a tangled family web. Do you think standing firm protects their own kids from potential chaos, or is there room for cautious outreach to the nieces and nephews?

How would you navigate parents’ guilt trips while prioritizing your peace? Share your thoughts below, we’re all ears!