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Aug 31, 2023 · While there is no simple solution or an easy, tell-tale sign that someone is being dishonest, researchers and experts have found some helpful indicators of lying. There are no signs of lying per se, but rather signs of thinking too much when a reply should not require thought or of emotions that don”t fit what is being spoken, he says.
- Breathing Rapidly. Some people may breathe more shallowly when they lie. Breathing quickly and shallowly is a symptom of nervousness. People are often nervous when they lie, especially if they're worried they're about to get caught doing something they shouldn't have been doing.
- Changes to Fidgeting Behavior. A liar might fidget more than normal to reflect their discomfort. Psychologically, people don't like to lie.
- Fleeting Micro-expressions. Brief micro-expressions can display a liar's true emotions. A micro-expression is created subconsciously when a person's facial expression shifts for a fraction of a second.
- Darting Eyes. Darting eyes can be a big sign of discomfort. If someone just lied to you, they're probably feeling uncomfortable, especially if you're peppering them with questions.
- A Change in Speech Patterns. One telltale sign someone may not be telling the whole truth is irregular speech. According to Gregg McCrary, a retired FBI criminal profiler, a person’s voice or mannerisms of speaking may change when they tell a lie, as reported in Forbes.
- The Use of Non-Congruent Gestures. If a person says yes but shakes their head no, it may indicate that they’re not telling the truth. As Dr. Ellen Hendriksen, a clinical psychologist at Boston University’s Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, points out in Scientific American, non-congruent gestures are movements in the body that don’t match the words a person says, and the gestures are the truth-tellers.
- Not Saying Enough. When truth-telling witnesses describe what they saw and are asked: “Is there anything else?” more details are revealed. But when liars are asked to go beyond their prepared stories, few other details are offered.
- Saying Too Much. On the flip side, researchers from Harvard Business School determined that liars trying to deceive stretch the truth with too many words.
Many observable signs have been linked to lying, but they are not always shown by everyone. The absence of these signals does not mean a person is truthful, but their presence, especially when there are multiple signs, is very suggestive of potential deceit.
- Examine body language When someone is lying, his or her body language can often give you a clue. They may have fidgety hands or hide their hands completely.
- Watch facial expressions When people are in the middle of a lie their facial expressions may show you. Look for flared nostrils, lip biting, rapid blinking or sweating.
- Pay attention to tone and sentence structure When people lie their speech tone and cadence may change. They could start speaking with a higher or lower tone than normal, and either speak more slowly or rapidly.
- Look at mouth and eyes Someone who is lying may cover their mouth or eyes with their hands, or close them altogether. Both of these come from a natural tendency to want to cover a lie.
Oct 8, 2024 · When trying to tell the truth from a tall tale, you need to focus on more than the signs of lying. Be sure to zero in on the signs of truth-telling too. ... such as here instead of there or this ...
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Nov 30, 2022 · Long answer: The signs of lying mentioned above—coupled with your own intuition—can help you figure out if they're lying both in the moment and over a period of time. Of course, you can always open up an honest dialogue and ask them yourself (which we'll get into shortly), but if you're not interested in having that conversation yet, there are some other helpful things to know.
