Everyone hates being lied to. And, conversely, everyone has lied at least a few times. Perhaps this is why so many of us are so paranoid about lies and find ourselves wondering if that person speaking so earnestly is really telling the truth. Many gimmicks have been marketed as “surefire lie detectors”, but the truth is there’s no one way to determine if someone is lying. With that in mind, here are some common indications that someone may be lying and some hints for spotting a liar:
Know Your Subject!
This one isn’t a simple trick, but it’s still the best way to determine if someone is lying to you. In order to spot a lie, you need to be a keen observer of the people around you, and you need to know the person you suspect of lying well enough to know what’s normal behavior for them. A person who normally talks quickly, doesn’t make eye contact, or who has lots of body language who suddenly stops doing these things may be trying to cover something up. A deviation from normal body language and patterns of speech can be a good clue that someone may be lying to you.
Perhaps even more obvious is to ask yourself the question: is this something this person has lied about before? If you’re discussing a subject that the other person has lied to you about before, it’s a good idea to be extra cautious and to look for clues that he or she may be lying this time. Past performance is the best indication of future behavior.Eye Contact
We each have a normal eye contact style, and a person deviating from their normal style may be trying to hide something. Additionally, either too much or too little eye contact may be a sign of a liar. Some people try to compensate for lying by looking their interlocutor “square in the eye”. If the other person is staring you down and refusing to break eye contact, they may be trying to prove their honesty to you and could be lying.
Information Conveyed
Some of us are short and to the point (“I went to the grocery store”) while some of us ramble on and on (“I thought about going to the grocery store and then I went to the grocery store and then I drove away and then I came home and….”) . A person who deviates from the normal amount of information they convey may be lying. Too many details could mean they’re trying to be too convincing or to get you to focus on the details as opposed to the big picture. As a general rule, however, when people are lying they tend to be unusually succinct.Liars are usually uncomfortable with what they are saying and tend to want to get out of the conversation as quickly as possible. They do this by providing little information (especially information that could later be verified) and rarely mention other people (who could be asked about the subject later).
Other Cues
As mentioned above, being a good observer is the best way to detect a lie, but a person who does several of the following might also be lying:
-frequently covering their mouth or scratching their nose
-placing objects between you and them
-restating your question– If you ask, “Did you take my cookies?” they might say, “I did not take your cookies” instead of, “no”
-they may become uncomfortable with silence and try to change the subject (though this can also just be a sign that the subject makes them nervous. Asking your wife, “are you cheating on me?” is likely to get this reaction even if she’s not cheating!)
-fewer hand gestures and other physical body language than usual
Using these techniques and strategies, you no longer have to get a lie detector test from https://liedetectortest.uk . All you have to do is be mindful, be a keen observer and carefully analyze the words that the person says and his or her actions.