"Life is like an onion. You peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep." Carl Sandberg
Often on this web site polygraphers are portrayed as heartless, mean, insensitive people who enjoy tricking, deceiving and catching innocent victims in a psychological web. Let me set the record straight. At least with regard to all the polygraphers I know.
The polygraph is a very "mean machine." It is truly heartless and it has no soul. It is like the Terminator. It seeks and destroys. But it has no fault in this matter. It very accurately reports what it sees and it is neither happy or sad with the outcome.
But polygraphers do have hearts and souls. We do not like to see people fail in their aspirations or exposed in their weakness. Most of us really care about the people we test and many of us have sat where they sit and felt what they felt for we are all human beings.
Some time ago I polygraphed an individual whose name and circumstances I will keep to myself because I have no desire or inclination to "name and shame" anyone. Let's just say that this individual ignored my advice and took the bad advice found on an internet site. The result was disastrous. Rather than simply falling into the inconclusive chasm, this individual fell into the Hell of failure and let me just say that the whole experience was one I wish I never had to have.
Following the test this individual actually wept in the polygraph room. The individual apologized for not following instructions and pleaded to take the test again, assuring me that the results would be different. And you know what? I think they would be because I believe the bad advice the individual had brought into the polygraph room was this individual's downfall. But what could I do dear reader? Nothing. I will tell you the feelings of my heart though. I wanted to weep with my test subject. But of course I refrained, always the professional, always the impartial finder of truth. So I waited until my test subject left for the long journey home. Then I will admit some tears came to my eyes. Onions and polygraphs sometimes have that effect. Meanwhile, the polygraph sat there on the table with its physiology monitors flat lined awaiting the next subject. It felt nothing.
I found this very interesting. Very human and revealing. Some might call it corny but I for one liked it. Why are all the best voices like this one banned?
"Let's just say that this individual ignored my advice and took the bad advice found on an internet site."
I can understand you not wanting to identify the person, but if you're not going to tell us what advice you gave him, and what advice he found on an internet site, and why it didn't work -- why should we believe anything you tell us? Your story begs for sentimental engagement but is carefully devoid of factual content.
You make your living by indiscriminately attacking people's honesty and screwing them over with junk science. Don't come around here pretending to feel compassion about it and trying to play on our sympathy.
Just confine your lying ways to your professional activities and leave the emotions of us decent folks alone.
-Aunty Agony.
I would ask to see the video of such a botched polygraph but in most cases, no such irrefutable evidence is available to validate such stories.
Until every polygraph is videotaped and provided to the examinees, I believe that the operators are the ones hiding the real truth.
I doubt if any polygraph operators weep when they call honest, law abiding police job applicants liars, when they are in fact telling the truth. Screw them. Sometimes the weep. Give me a break.