Is there a name for this?

[jim_p]

Is there a succinct term to describe the act of making excuses in order to achieve a particular outcome? A classic example of what I'm talking about is drug-seeking behavior in the emergency room: "I need painkillers. I need $GOODSTUFF. No, no, I'm allergic to $SUBSTITUTE1, I really need $GOODSTUFF. No, $SUBSTITUTE2 didn't work last time I REALLY need $GOODSTUFF..."

I've been dealing with this sort of thing in other contexts lately...

Comments

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

Well, it's lying. But not necessarilly bad. I can see how it's bad if it's a drug addict trying to get $goodstuff. But if it's a person trying to express their desires, and they know that the person they are asking is likely to give them a hassle and try to give/sell them something they definitely Don't Want, it's basically trying to not waste time. For example, I hate most sugar substitutes because they give me a horrid aftertaste and totally gross me out with their metallic flavor. If I simply say I "don't want" a specific item, like diet soda. they will likely substitute another item that also has sugar substitute in it (such as fake sugar lemonade). But if I say "My body can't handle sugar substitutes" they don't often try to convince me sucralose good for me.

So it's all in the context of what is being asked for, and for what reason.

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

I have a similar thing about morphine. I tell people I'm allergic to it. That's not quite it, though. The truth is that I am severely hypersensitive to it, such that doses that are fine for most people came close to stopping my respiration entirely the very first time I ever had it, after surgery. But that takes a while to explain, and might make people think there is ever a dosage that might be appropriate to give me, when in reality I want it never to come anywhere near me ever again, so I tell people that I'm allergic and they understand that it's a no-no.

In the sense that Jim's asking about it, I think it's probably good, old-fashioned manipulation.