Here are some tell-tale signs that indicate someone may be lying to you
Are you bad at spotting a lie? New research by Dr Leanne ten Brinke, a forensic psychologist at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, and her collaborators, suggest that our instincts for judging liars are actually fairly strong — but our conscious minds sometimes fail us. Luckily, there are signs we can look for when trying to detect a lie.
Dr Lillian Glass, a behavioural analyst and body language expert who has worked with the FBI on unmasking signals of deception, says that trying to figure out if someone is lying, you first need to understand how the person normally acts. Then you will want to pay attention to their facial expressions, body language, and speech patterns, she writes in her book The Body Language of Liars.
They change their head position quickly
If you see someone suddenly make a head movement when you ask them a direct question, they may be lying to you about something. The head will be retracted or jerked back, bowed down, or cocked or tilted to the side. This will often happen right before the person is expected to respond to a question.
Their breathing changes
When someone is lying to you, they may begin to breathe heavily, Glass says, “It’s a reflex action”. When their breathing changes, their shoulders will rise and their voice may get shallow.
In essence, they are out of breath because their heart rate and blood flow change. Your body experiences these types of changes when you’re nervous and feeling tense — when you lie.
They provide too much information
When someone goes on and on and gives you too much information — information that is not requested and especially an excess of details — there is a very high probability that he or she is not telling you the truth. Liars often talk a lot because they are hoping that, with all their talking and seeming openness, others will believe them.
They stare at you without blinking much
When people lie, it’s common that they break eye contact, but the liar could go the extra mile to maintain eye contact in an attempt to control and manipulate you. Bernie Madoff, like most con men, overcompensated and stared at people longer than usual, often without blinking at regular intervals. When people tell the truth, most will occasionally shift their eyes around and may even look away from time to time. Liars, on the other hand, will use a cold, steady gaze to intimidate and control. Also, watch out for rapid blinking.
They tend to point a lot
When a liar becomes hostile or defensive, he is attempting to turn the tables on you. The liar will get hostile because he is angry that you’ve discovered his lies, which may result in a lot of pointing.
They stand very still
It’s common knowledge that people fidget when they get nervous, but Glass says that you should also watch out for people who are not moving at all. When you speak and engage in normal conversation, it is natural to move your body around in subtle, relaxed, and, for the most part, unconscious movements. So, if you observe a rigid, catatonic stance devoid of movement, it is often a huge warning sign that something is off.
Ref: EconomicTimes
