Myth #1 -- You can’t put a price on national security.

There are two problems with this myth.  First, people put a price on their own security every time they don’t buy the safest car out there, don’t buy a house in the safest neighborhood, buy cheaper health insurance, etc.  If we really couldn’t put a price on national security, we’d pay for guards every ten feet on the border, ships everywhere on the coastline, etc.

Secondly, it is likely that polygraph testing is harmful to national security.  The test is based on lies and deception.  Not surprisingly, lies and deception are also the norm for people who work in cleared professions.  Truth is defined as what is beneficial to self, company, or organization.  This is then dressed up as actually being best for national security.  The test is based on pseudo-science.  Again, not surprisingly, there are serious technical deficiencies with many people who work in cleared professions.  If only they replaced the polygraph test with a competency test!

In order to get into college, I took tests to measure my intelligence and was interviewed by intelligent people.  When I went to college, I was surrounded my intelligent people.  When I joined a Church, I was asked questions about religion by religious people.  When I go to Church, I am surrounded by religious people.  When I started my career I was lied to, harassed, and given pseudo-scientific tests.  When I go to work, I am surrounded by many unethical and non-technical people.  Fortunately there are a few good ones there out there too that slip by the polygraphers.

Myth #3 -- You aren’t around people the people you know who have failed polygraphs every second of the day, so they must have something bad in their background causing them to fail that you just don’t know about.

I’ve heard this several times from polygraphers.  They ask near the beginning of the test what concerns I have and I mention that several people who I respect have failed their polygraph tests.  They polygrapher then attempts to assure me that they deserved to fail, and that if I am truthfull, I have nothing to fear.

The first problem with this argument is that I have failed, been inconclusive, and passed polygraph tests.  Does the polygrapher really believe they can convince me their test works when I know first hand that it doesn’t?

Secondly, it is not reasonable to believe that in a few hours time, using de-bunked methods, a polygrapher can more accurately determine someone’s trustworthiness than I can after having known them for years.  In order to believe this, I would also have to ignore that many of those people have passed polygraph tests with other agencies.  If it was just one person, this might be plausible, but in general the people I know who are both intelligent and actively religious have great difficulty with the polygraph test.  The only intelligent and very religious person I have known to easily pass a polygraph had a very laid-back personality.

Myth #5 -- Polygraphers have advanced degrees.

I wouldn’t listen to someone who had a P.H.D. in astrology.  I don’t care how many years a polygrapher has spent honing his bogus trade.

You can tell I’m getting tired of this, as the last two got short write-ups.

Myth #7 -- People who complain about their polygraph experience have something to hide.

No comments about this one other than that I’ve heard it from several sources and it really annoys me.

No rebuttals on any of these?

I'll be adding some more later.

Thanks, Johnn

I have a list of some more that I still haven't posted, but they are just variations of the existing ones.  It's disappointing that none of our polygraph experts have attempted to rebut any of my claims.

I'm going for yet another polygraph (#7) tomorrow morning at 8:30, and I was informed by my last polygrapher that I would fail again, so perhaps I'll extend my fail streak to 5 and have some more good material tomorrow.  My last polygrapher also tried to convince me to drop out of the process, but to no avail.  It’s almost fun to listen to Polygraphers/adjudicators tell me how I'm going to lose my job if I don't do better on the polygraph.

I have plenty of good notes from #6 that I haven't posted as well as notes from earlier ones with different agencies.  

Not sure yet how much/when I'll post this other information.

Hopefully I'll at least be awake for my poly tomorrow as I have a long, traffic filled drive and I'm not a morning person.

Onesimus wrote on Feb 8^th, 2006 at 5:19am:


Onesimus,

The truth of the matter is that, George's Minions wouldn't even exist, if the BS that is the Polygraph didn't exist. So they (the polygraph community) now has to live with the reality (not a myth), that their little trade secrets and world is out in the sun, for everyone to know. Thats why if you took a polygraph anytime in the past, the examiner always told you never to speak or discuss it. Bottom line they are feeling the heat and everyone knows their little scam.  And everytime they give a polygraph George's Minions increase. Its a self defeating prophesy for the polygraphers. There are more of us than you !  And with numbers comes political clout. I hope your polygrapher reads this, and fully realizes that he will be the one hit on the ass as they terminate him because he is now obsolete. But telemarketing firms are always hiring, they could use a good bunch of fast talking BSers. But if your polygrapher had any nerve at all, he would come on in and support his position. But alas, no guts no glory and hiding behind a worthless machine. There are a few Polygraphers that do come on I can respect because they are at least willing to debate.

Regards .....