Has anyone ever come across a total Walter Mitty in life.
Someone who has spun a whole different life outside of who or what they really are
Do you call them out or just let them be?
As an ex service men it’s amazing how many people pertain to have been in or been to certain places. I just let them dig the proverbial hole and then will call them out |
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Yes … at work I used to conduct alot of interviews … a technique i used to employ was relaxing the interviewee in a way they often then fabricated information which was in effect a lie !
senior positions were worse than shop floor !
Some were totally deluded ! Some so arrogant that they were a complete invention!
So yes agree
( by the way….. ever one lies about a part of their CV - my job was to find out which bit!) 😬🙄☠️
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Worked alongside an engineer who identified as a PhD and insisted people used his Doctor suffix when addressing him; we’d all take the piss and whatever he said we’d reply with “right you are doctor” or “carry on doctor “ !!
A few years later, the company was swallowed up by the Japanese who instead we all quantified our academic achievements; it caused quite a scare.
Several apparent “time served” engineers weren’t and low & behold, the Doctor couldn’t prove his PhD having ‘mislaid’ the certificate, the floppy hat, the tassel and any pictorial evidence!
Pure fantasy, it was hilarious and disturbing in equal measure!  |
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By *929Man 17 weeks ago
newcastle |
Have had the displeasure of knowing far more than my fair share must be something in the water around here or I attract the fuckers as even out on the drink I seem to get some shit talking idiot converse with me ffs |
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By (user no longer on site) 17 weeks ago
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Plenty.
Here’s a but though (and yes I’m ex infantry). For the most part what does it matter? Everyone to a greater or lesser extent makes up bits of their life, or ‘forgets’ other bits. Who cares? Unless they’re doing it for malicious reasons, does it really matter?
I’m not having a go, but some ex services are obsessed with ‘outing’ people who they see as being ‘Walts’. To what end?
The day I left the army, I left it all behind. I became a civvy just like everyone else. |
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"Plenty.
Here’s a but though (and yes I’m ex infantry). For the most part what does it matter? Everyone to a greater or lesser extent makes up bits of their life, or ‘forgets’ other bits. Who cares? Unless they’re doing it for malicious reasons, does it really matter?
I’m not having a go, but some ex services are obsessed with ‘outing’ people who they see as being ‘Walts’. To what end?
The day I left the army, I left it all behind. I became a civvy just like everyone else. "
What I did in the military including joining was my choice
However where I may differ is in recent times and even from any conflict or war to say you stood alongside people who have fallen is, for me, the ultimate sign of disrespect. And therefore should be called out. Such as the police chief who said he was in the Falklands |
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"Plenty.
Here’s a but though (and yes I’m ex infantry). For the most part what does it matter? Everyone to a greater or lesser extent makes up bits of their life, or ‘forgets’ other bits. Who cares? Unless they’re doing it for malicious reasons, does it really matter?
I’m not having a go, but some ex services are obsessed with ‘outing’ people who they see as being ‘Walts’. To what end?
The day I left the army, I left it all behind. I became a civvy just like everyone else. "
Because when someone is cutting around wearing gongs that don't belong to them, and haven't been earned in places where you have lost friends and comrades. It's kind of a bit of a kick in the teeth.
Obsessed? No. Pissed off? Yeah. |
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"Plenty.
Here’s a but though (and yes I’m ex infantry). For the most part what does it matter? Everyone to a greater or lesser extent makes up bits of their life, or ‘forgets’ other bits. Who cares? Unless they’re doing it for malicious reasons, does it really matter?
I’m not having a go, but some ex services are obsessed with ‘outing’ people who they see as being ‘Walts’. To what end?
The day I left the army, I left it all behind. I became a civvy just like everyone else.
What I did in the military including joining was my choice
However where I may differ is in recent times and even from any conflict or war to say you stood alongside people who have fallen is, for me, the ultimate sign of disrespect. And therefore should be called out. Such as the police chief who said he was in the Falklands "
Blokes a complete and utter cunt, if he's prosecuted for misconduct in public office it would be a correct result..
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By (user no longer on site) 17 weeks ago
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"Plenty.
Here’s a but though (and yes I’m ex infantry). For the most part what does it matter? Everyone to a greater or lesser extent makes up bits of their life, or ‘forgets’ other bits. Who cares? Unless they’re doing it for malicious reasons, does it really matter?
I’m not having a go, but some ex services are obsessed with ‘outing’ people who they see as being ‘Walts’. To what end?
The day I left the army, I left it all behind. I became a civvy just like everyone else.
What I did in the military including joining was my choice
However where I may differ is in recent times and even from any conflict or war to say you stood alongside people who have fallen is, for me, the ultimate sign of disrespect. And therefore should be called out. Such as the police chief who said he was in the Falklands "
Ah different views. It reminds me of the recent D-Day commemorations. The amount of people saying ‘this is what they fought for’ just to back up a political argument or point of view.
The trouble is, we now have a lionisation of anyone that’s served in the forces. We have the fetishisation of the whole ‘lest we forget’. The whole glorification of war. Yet they forget Wilfred Owen - Dulce et Decorum Est. It encourages people to want to have a heroic background.
You and I know the true mundanity of soldiering and indeed the grot and shit of warfare. There’s fuck all heroic in it.
Anyway, I’m getting off topic. Yeah, I’ve met a few. |
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By *929Man 17 weeks ago
newcastle |
I encountered the father of a semi famous local lass on a few jobs and the lies he told was phenomenal one was that he was a pilot and at the time we were working on the rich lady’s house and he told us how he flew his little plane low over the vast garden and seen the lady and they waved at each other, a few days later the lass asked us if he was really a pilot like he said I just laughed and told her well apparently you waved at him going past just the other weekend and she just laughed
He also said he had a huge house with large terraced garden that went down to the river I found out a bit later he lived in a doss house with loads of other bums |
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Yes, an ex-partner. Obviously I called them out once I'd figured it out.
I wasn't so much angry as baffled and sad that they valued themselves so little that they felt the need to fabricate this backstory in order for people to like them.
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I’ve come across a couple of them in my time, always catch them out on service numbers not matching timeframe they served, plus with a works laptop you can just have a look and see if they are real or not |
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Yes I've known a few. I used to challenge bits of their stories. Now if I ever encounter a bullshitter I just leave them be. It's obviously important to them and I'm too far from perfect to be calling others out. |
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There’s someone I know who tells the biggest far fetched stories, always tries to big himself up. I was very quick to realise but initially I felt very sub standard, like I didn’t have my shit together at all. Then realised he really didn’t and needed to tell these stories. I haven’t called him out as so many people around me are seeing it and I’m enjoying watching him burn and quite enjoy the entertainment of the lies.
They’re mostly a way of saying how much money he supposedly has, people who are genuinely rich that he supposedly mixes with and how hunky dory his life supposedly is! |
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"Plenty.
Here’s a but though (and yes I’m ex infantry). For the most part what does it matter? Everyone to a greater or lesser extent makes up bits of their life, or ‘forgets’ other bits. Who cares? Unless they’re doing it for malicious reasons, does it really matter?
I’m not having a go, but some ex services are obsessed with ‘outing’ people who they see as being ‘Walts’. To what end?
The day I left the army, I left it all behind. I became a civvy just like everyone else.
Because when someone is cutting around wearing gongs that don't belong to them, and haven't been earned in places where you have lost friends and comrades. It's kind of a bit of a kick in the teeth.
Obsessed? No. Pissed off? Yeah."
I’m with you on this one. They want the admiring looks and mantle of heroism that they think comes with having served but they know Jack shit about the realities of what they’re claiming. |
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Yes I've known liars. It's usually a sign of rock bottom self esteem, imagine feeling so bad about yourself that you invent a different life.
Sometimes it's malicious to cover up wrong doing.
It's always damaging to relationships though |
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My ex husband was a bit like that, I mean I have no evidence to suggest he was/does make up stuff but some of the stuff I heard/hear I'm like "um, ok" as it's completely out of character, incidentally our eldest son is also like him, yet they don't get on at all anymore, weird that. |
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"Plenty.
Here’s a but though (and yes I’m ex infantry). For the most part what does it matter? Everyone to a greater or lesser extent makes up bits of their life, or ‘forgets’ other bits. Who cares? Unless they’re doing it for malicious reasons, does it really matter?
I’m not having a go, but some ex services are obsessed with ‘outing’ people who they see as being ‘Walts’. To what end?
The day I left the army, I left it all behind. I became a civvy just like everyone else.
Because when someone is cutting around wearing gongs that don't belong to them, and haven't been earned in places where you have lost friends and comrades. It's kind of a bit of a kick in the teeth.
Obsessed? No. Pissed off? Yeah."
I understand that. But the only person being harmed by that is you (or the people carrying around the resentment). Walter is merrily weaving his tales and not concerned. |
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"Plenty.
Here’s a but though (and yes I’m ex infantry). For the most part what does it matter? Everyone to a greater or lesser extent makes up bits of their life, or ‘forgets’ other bits. Who cares? Unless they’re doing it for malicious reasons, does it really matter?
I’m not having a go, but some ex services are obsessed with ‘outing’ people who they see as being ‘Walts’. To what end?
The day I left the army, I left it all behind. I became a civvy just like everyone else.
Because when someone is cutting around wearing gongs that don't belong to them, and haven't been earned in places where you have lost friends and comrades. It's kind of a bit of a kick in the teeth.
Obsessed? No. Pissed off? Yeah.
I understand that. But the only person being harmed by that is you (or the people carrying around the resentment). Walter is merrily weaving his tales and not concerned. "
I'm not really sure of your point tbh. America deal with 'stólen valour' we don't. I'll just park this. |
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We worked with a man who completely fabricated his abilities. So much so that he was head hunted on the strength of it because he'd spun his web to suppliers. Needless to say that he lasted less than six weeks in his new job. I just couldn't understand why he took the job, he must have known at some level that he couldn't do what he said he could. The scale of his self deception was breathtaking |
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