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Why Are We Obsessed with Stories About Liars, Grifters and Cheats?

Lately it seems like people can’t get enough of a good lie. From true crime documentaries about the fraudulent Fyre Festival or dating app con man the Tinder Swindler to “Inventing Anna,” Shondaland’s dramatization of grifter Anna Sorokin, these stories of liars, grifters and cheats are nearly ubiquitous.

But stories about deception have been around since people first started telling tales around the campfire, so why have these films and TV shows become so popular recently?

Ahnert says these stories are likely hitting a nerve with audiences because they speak to a “post-postmodern” concern: What is the truth in a world filled with lies?

But the appeal of these stories might go even deeper than that. It turns out lying might be in our genes, says Don Fallis, a professor of philosophy and computer science. 

Read more at News @ Northeastern.

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