semi-awkward moment of the week (10/25/08)

I realize that I didn't post yesterday, but only because I could not think of a truly defining awkward moment. So I suppose I will recount a strange, semi-awkward moment.

So, on Tuesday, I was eating lunch with a usual group of people, and I found this random guy sitting diagonally across the table from me. I thought he was the friend of someone else at the table, so I was like, okay, cool. But it turned out that he wasn't. Thus, it was a bit awkward at first, but as the lunch progressed, he began to talk about himself. He said he was from Illinois, but not Chicago or Springfield, as most people can stereotypically presume. Then he said that he had gotten into Yale, but decided to come to Penn anyway because he didn't feel like slitting his wrists all the time because of the crazy dullness/stress. We were like, oh, interesting. Then he talked about visiting all these different countries, like China and Sweden, and that he wanted to go to India to see a crazy high-rise mansion built by the fifth richest man in the world. We were like, hm, I see. Then he talked about how he's met the founder of Ikea and been shopping with the Swedish royal family because his cousin's friend's father is somehow friends with them. We were like, oh wow. Then he started mentioning how he's met three out of the ten richest men in the world, like Bill Gates at a condo they were both at, and Oprah because he was at some conference she spoke at, and how so-and-so lives next door to him, and so-and-so lives next door to that person...until eventually, we asked, But wait, didn't you say you lived in Illinois? And he said, oh well, this is in Florida. We have two houses. Uh-huh.

So basically, as soon as he talked about the Swedish royal family, I thought - Is he a compulsive liar? And of course, I was with people who are naturally very trusting and non-cynical, so they continued to say, oh really? Wow, interesting. But I really felt like that was just feeding his will to continue making up bigger and bigger crazy stories. But what can you say? Do you call someone out on something like that? Well, I had to go to a conference with a professor anyway, so I got up and left with my conclusion in mind. But the next time I saw him - he didn't recognize me, thank goodness - he was once again sitting by himself, and it made me wonder...is it loneliness and insecurity that makes people lie like that?