Is there a name for this?
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...
I've been dealing with this sort of thing in other contexts lately...