This comment or something like it should be at the top, because it's the main point about polygraphing. It's the process, not the answers that matter.

I knew a guy who did security clearance checking for the Three Letter Agencies for many years. He told be that if I ever had to do these interviews, I just need to pick good sounding lies and stick to them. He said it's the ones who try to be honest and introspective who get failed out.

This was all so weird to read about. I guess I just assumed the polygraph was of marginal utility, and you either passed, or you didn't. I didn't realize it was part of a combative interrogation process, even for regular employees.

There's two kinds of sociopaths, the uncontrollable ones and the controllable ones. The CIA only wants the latter.