Everybody lies. That's what Dr. House says - and it's true. Like most people, I tell a fib every now and then, especially if I know the truth might sting or bring about conflict. But there are people who lie more than every once in a while. They present a false front about small, mundane things, and even lie about significant issues. For chronic liars, lying is a habit.
Wanna know how to spot a liar? Experts reveal some tips below.
1. What is the style of a person's speech?
Experts say that a change in pitch, speech rate and breathing pattern - if either speeds up or slows down, can tip you off that someone's being untrue.
2. What is the person saying?
Liars are less likely to use the words "I," "me," and "mine." In their attempts to distance themselves from lies, liars tend to communicate using fewer personal words. Also, liars tend to avoid words like "but," "except," and "whereas," because they have trouble keeping track of complex thought processes.
3. How is the person's face?
Experts advise paying close attention to the micro-expressions that a face can't hide. These little signals can help you detect if someone is being deceptive.
4. How is the person's smile?
An authentic smile generates from the mouth and also the eyes. When looking for liars, pay close attention to how a person smiles - the quality of it and quantity of it.
Experts say that a change in pitch, speech rate and breathing pattern - if either speeds up or slows down, can tip you off that someone's being untrue.
2. What is the person saying?
Liars are less likely to use the words "I," "me," and "mine." In their attempts to distance themselves from lies, liars tend to communicate using fewer personal words. Also, liars tend to avoid words like "but," "except," and "whereas," because they have trouble keeping track of complex thought processes.
3. How is the person's face?
Experts advise paying close attention to the micro-expressions that a face can't hide. These little signals can help you detect if someone is being deceptive.
4. How is the person's smile?
An authentic smile generates from the mouth and also the eyes. When looking for liars, pay close attention to how a person smiles - the quality of it and quantity of it.
5. Does the body language follow the story?
Truth is, the most important way to detect a liar is to examine a person's entire verbal and non-verbal language. Honesty is characterized by features that are in sync with one another . So, note the fit among facial expressions, body posture, voice, and speech pattern.
6. Is the person behaving uncharacteristically?
Experts believe changes in a person's baseline behavior (the predictable way the usually behave) can signal deception. Anything out of the ordinary should crinkle your brow.
7. What is the conversational topic?
Gauge the intimacy level of the conversation. Is it small talk? Is it a deep emotional exchange?Liars tend to avoid eye contact when involved in simple, social conversation. Liars tend to intensify their eye gaze when being deceptive about "emotional" or "difficult" topics. Remember, most people look away, hesitate or even change their posture when a conversation is difficult.
Gauge the intimacy level of the conversation. Is it small talk? Is it a deep emotional exchange?Liars tend to avoid eye contact when involved in simple, social conversation. Liars tend to intensify their eye gaze when being deceptive about "emotional" or "difficult" topics. Remember, most people look away, hesitate or even change their posture when a conversation is difficult.
Now that you've learned a bit on the subject of detecting liars, take the Reader's Digest quiz here. I bet you'll do great!
