Why being a Con Man (1), lying, or believing in “alternative facts” might suggest multiple personality

In multiple personality, the regular, so-called “host personality” usually has a common sense, conventional view of reality, but each alternate personality, like characters in a novel, may have its own characteristic views of itself and reality, which can be quite imaginative. Thus, if a person switches among alternate personalities, according to which one is of most practical use in a particular situation, then one possible result is a confidence man or “con man.” The lies can be quite convincing at the time, because each alternate personality believes what it is saying, while the host personality is not paying attention or thinks, well, that is his view, not mine.

When I read Tom Suozzi’s column (1) this morning, the words “con man” reminded me of past posts in which I discussed novels by Herman Melville (2) and Thomas Mann (3).

Also, a belief in “alternative facts” (4) might suggest alternate personalities.

1. Tom Suozzi. “A Con Man is Succeeding Me in Congress.” https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/03/opinion/george-santos-congress.html

2. Herman Melville. The Confidence Man: His Masquerade

3. Thomas Mann. Confessions of Felix Kroll, Confidence Man.

4. Wikipedia. “Alternative Facts.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_facts

Search “confidence man,” “con man,” and “lying.”