Ingredients for Making a Phony Person

A young lady once asked me what a “phony” person was. At the time I was very busy so I answered simply with, “A phony person is someone who behaves in a dishonest way.” However, being very busy, I was not able to answer the question to the best of my ability, and when I had a little free time on my hands I started to think about what the word “phony” really meant.

Generally when a person thinks of the word “phony” they think of someone who is fake or materialistic and definitely not genuine. Although these are true characteristics of a phony person, there is also more depth involved.

As I was thinking, I remembered an old acquaintance from High School. I remember talking to my friends about how phony this person was. She had a very fake personality and pretended not to know something in order to find out information. In other words, she would “play dumb” in order to find out gossip. She did not realize that it was very obvious to the people around her what she was trying to do, or the act that she was putting on. To this day, I’m not sure that she realizes the phony personality she presented people with in her High School years.

To be exact, a phony person is one who is insincere. A person who pretends to be something they’re not for whatever reasons they feel are necessary. A phony person is one who gives a false impression of themselves, and is not to be trusted.