Tuesday, October 12, 2010

How to Detect Lies

Tips to Help You Become a Human Lie Detector


DISCLAIMER: As the saying goes..."sometimes ignorance is bliss", for after gaining this knowledge, you may be hurt when it is obvious that someone is lying to you.  Read on and use this information at your own risk. ROFL.

 

Introduction to Detecting Lies:

The following techniques to telling if someone is lying are often used by police and security experts. This knowledge is also useful for managers, employers, and for anyone to use in everyday situations where telling the truth from a lie can help prevent you from being a victim of fraud/scams and other deceptions.

 

Signs of Deception:

 

Body Language of Lies

• Physical expression will be limited and stiff, with few arm and hand movements. Hand, arm and leg movement are toward their own body the liar takes up less space.
• A person who is lying to you will avoid making eye contact.
• Hands touching their face, throat & mouth. Touching or scratching the nose or behind their ear. Not likely to touch his chest/heart with an open hand.

Emotional Gestures & Contradiction

• Timing and duration of emotional gestures and emotions are off a normal pace. The display of emotion is delayed, stays longer it would naturally, then stops suddenly.
• Timing is off between emotions gestures/expressions and words. (Ex: Someone says "I love it!" when receiving a gift, and then smile after making that statement, rather then at the same time the statement is made.)
• Gestures/expressions don’t match the verbal statement, such as frowning when saying “I love you.”
• Expressions are limited to mouth movements when someone is faking emotions, instead of the whole face. (Ex: when someone smiles naturally their whole face is involved: jaw/cheek movement, eyes and forehead push down, etc.)
 

Interactions and Reactions

• A guilty person gets defensive. An innocent person will often go on the offensive.
• A liar is uncomfortable facing his questioner/accuser and may turn his head or body away.
• A liar might unconsciously place objects (book, coffee cup, etc.) between themselves and you.

Verbal Context and Content

• A liar will use your words to make answer a question. When asked, “Did you eat the last cookie?” The liar answers, “No, I did not eat the last cookie.”
•A statement with a contraction is more likely to be truthful: “ I didn't do it” instead of “I did not do it”
• Liars sometimes avoid "lying" by not making direct statements. They imply answers instead of denying something directly.
• The guilty person may speak more than natural, adding unnecessary details to convince you... they are not comfortable with silence or pauses in the conversation.
• A liar may leave out pronouns and speak in a monotonous tone. When a truthful statement is made the pronoun is emphasized as much or more than the rest of the words in a statement.
• Words may be garbled and spoken softly, and syntax and grammar may be off. In other
words, his sentences will likely be muddled rather than emphasized.

Other signs of a lie:

• If you believe someone is lying, then change subject of a conversation quickly, a liar follows along willingly and becomes more relaxed. The guilty wants the subject changed; an innocent person may be confused by the sudden change in topics and will want to go back to the previous subject.
• Using humor or sarcasm to avoid a subject.

Final Notes:

Obviously, just because someone exhibits one or more of these signs does not make them a liar. The above behaviors should be compared to a persons base (normal) behavior whenever possible.  Most lie detecting experts agree that a combination of body language and other cues must be used to make an educated guess on whether someone is telling the truth or a lie.

And as always, let me know what you think, be it good, bad, or indifferent in the comments.  Keep it locked here for more Random Nuggs.

29 comments:

  1. Ohhh nice info! I can't wait to try this out on someone!

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  2. i know! i want some one to lie so i can be all BAM YOU LIE SUCKA!!! lol but i really do wanna try this out!! thanks for the info! following!!

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  3. this can also serve as a guide to be a better liar haha

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  4. This is awesome! I am so going to be trying this out.

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  5. and that sums it up for 99% of people DO THIS

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  6. Awesome spot of knowledge. Thanks alot!
    I love detecting liars

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  7. this could be helpful when playing poker right?

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  8. ive been wanting to know this! thank you

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  9. I always want the truth

    btw, check out my new post on GTL Everyday :)

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  10. really cool post! useful too, following.

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  11. these are some helpful tips

    btw, check out my new bubbles on Enhanced by MS Paint :)

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  12. I'm going to try to use this tomorrow in my meeting

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  13. Well, everybody is different, but most of the people share those signs when they're lie. Good post, dude o_-

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  14. That's great info thanks so much.
    I always like to try and tell when people are lying.

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  15. I want to use this on my girlfriend (srs)

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  16. Very cool post! reminds me of the book by Paul Eckman about reading human emotions.

    Anyway nice blog! come check mine out when you have the chance :)

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  17. Loving these tips, both helps me lie better, and better detect liars.

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  18. by the time im done reading this ill know when everyones lying

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  19. fascinating shit man. Head on over to my blog man and grab some tunes

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  20. wow very interesting thanks for the info!

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