How to Know if Someone Is Lying by Body Movements

A person who is lying might have fidgety hands.

You can detect if a person is lying just by watching his body movements. Body movements are directly related to emotions. If you feel sad, you might hang your head and walk slumped over. If you are confident or happy, you probably stand taller and engage in eye contact with others. Your body movements signal to people how you are really feeling at any given moment and they also can show when you are lying. If you're trying to decide if someone is lying, look closely at their hands and face when they are talking to you. These areas of the body could hold the clues of dishonesty.

Instructions

1. Watch the person's mouth. It might appear tight with the corners turned down. Or, it could move consistently while the eyes remain still and motionless. All areas of the face usually react simultaneously to express emotion. For instance, if you smile, your cheeks lift and your eyes become brighter to show that you are happy. When a person is lying, the mouth and the rest of her face might seem disconnected. Her mouth might be moving, but the rest of her face might not be, making her appear less animated.

2. Observe his eyes. They might move or dart in an unusual manner. In contrast, his eyes could not move at all. Sometimes the person might try to not to blink or move their eyes too much, which results in a fixed blank or stare. Also, the person's eyes might shift up toward the right when asked a question he has to think about. Most people display this movement when responding to a question that requires thought, such as "What did you do last weekend?" or, "What did you work on last night?" The difference is that the eyes usually shift up and to the left when you are thinking of a truthful answer or recalling actual facts, but if a person is lying the eyes might shift upward and to the right.

3. Look at her nose. Her nostrils might flare while talking. Or, she might wrinkle her nose the same way you do when you encounter a bad smell. Both of these movements can indicate that she is lying.

4. Watch his hands, arms and feet. Does he touch his mouth or rub his eyes or nose frequently? Does he keep placing his hands in his pocket? Is he shuffling his feet or nervously crossing and uncrossing his legs? Fidgety hands, arms and feet can be a telltale sign of lying.

References

• "Cosmopolitan"; Ten Things You don't Know About Liars; Ky Henderson
• Warning Signs; John Delorenzo, et al.; 2008