Ways to Tell if a Person Is Lying

Lying is a part of everyday life, despite society’s insistence that telling the truth is always for the best. People lie to protect themselves, to make themselves seem more important or to avoid hurting other people’s feelings. Even if a lie is told with the best intentions, no one likes to be told a lie. Liars often give themselves away with facial expressions or patterns of speech, making it possible to determine is someone is lying to you.

Instructions

1. 

   Look at the person’s face. If he is lying, when he smiles, only the muscles around his lips will move. In a natural smile, the muscles around the eyes, forehead and nose are involved. A liar may avoid making eye contact. Some people become adept at lying and have no trouble looking you in the eye to prove sincerity. If you suspect this is the case, pay attention to how often the person blinks, as this can indicate lying. People normally blink about 20 times per minute, but when under pressure that number can increase by four or five times. If the person is blinking frequently and that is not normal behavior, he may be lying.

2. Check the timing of the person’s reaction. If she responds enthusiastically to something you’ve just told her, but there is a delay in the response, she is probably lying. If her expression doesn’t match the words she is saying, she is most likely lying.

3. Evaluate the person’s body position for clues. It is generally not a good sign if the person turns away from you or places objects between you. Touching his throat, nose, face or mouth when talking could indicate that he is nervous and is lying to you.

4. Listen to the way the person phrases her sentences. If she uses contractions in sentences, she is more likely to be telling the truth. “I wasn’t there” is more likely to be the truth than “I was not there.” If she repeats your question exactly in her answer, she is likely to be lying. If her response to “Did you take the money that was on the table?” is “No, I did not take the money that was on the table,” chances are that she is lying.

5. Consider the way the person speaks to you. If he adds much more detail to his explanation than is necessary, he may very well be lying. Avoiding answering a question with a direct statement can also indicate the person is lying. Answering the question in a monotone or soft, hesitant voice can be an indicator of lying. Tripping over his words can also indicate that he is uncomfortable with the subject and isn’t telling the truth.

6. Change the subject and pay attention to how the person reacts. If she quickly becomes involved in the new subject and seems much more relaxed, she may be lying about the original subject. An innocent person would likely be confused about why the subject is suddenly being changed and would want to return to the original subject.

Tips & Warnings

• Take into account the person’s normal behavior before you decide that he is lying. If he doesn’t normally smile, a cursory smile won’t necessarily mean that he is lying.

• If the person becomes defensive when you ask a simple question, she may suspect that you know she is lying and try to protect herself by proclaiming her innocence.

• Try asking specific questions. "When is the last time you saw her?" may get a more truthful response than asking "Are you still seeing her?"

Resources

• Truth About Deception website