Life as Fiction.

It seems as though people try to fictionalize their lives. Many people I've known tend to positively emphasize the attributes that they really do not have. For instance, there are those who talk about what they did in the war (pick a war, any war). Some wag once said that if all the men who claim to have been in Viet Nam had actually been there, we would have swamped the ARVN and VC just by sheer weight of numbers. I've noticed that those who claim to be veterans and talk an awful lot about their combat experiences most usually were never even near the combat zones. On the other hand, those who really went through hell with often heroic actions did not want to talk about it at all.
In recent weeks many of our politicians have talked an awful lot about wanting to help the common man during this economic crisis. When looking at policies they actually propose, however, those policies tend to help the ultra-wealthy while condemning the common man to a life of abject servitude to their corporate masters. 
Then there are those who go on and on about what great Christians they are. After some time in their presence, though, their lack of any Christian attributes is apparent. For instance, those who claim to be the most loving tend to be the most self-centered and uncaring.
This kind of posturing kind of puzzles me. Then again, I guess it's all about their status, either to themselves (fictionalizing themselves to themselves) or to others.

Regardless, it is an altogether too human and disgusting behavior.