How to Detect a Lie by Sight

Catch a liar in the act.

When you suspect that someone is not being truthful with you, it can be a very frustrating situation, especially if you cannot prove it. Whether you are questioning a potentially unfaithful spouse or a deceptive co-worker, it can be hard to decipher the truth. If you do not feel confident enough to confront a person on whether he is telling you the truth, you can take matters into your own hands by identifying and looking out for telltale indications that someone is fibbing to you.

Instructions

1. Observe whether the person fidgets a lot. Excessive fidgeting and restless behavior usually indicates that a person is uncomfortable. Some examples of fidgeting are toying with objects lying around, such as cell phones or pens; playing with hair; smoothing out clothes and rubbing the face, particularly the nose and mouth.

2. Look out for defensive behavior patterns. When a person behaves in a manner that is too defensive and protests a little too much, then it may be a sign that she is guilty and is overcompensating as a result. If a person responds in a belligerent or hostile way when questioned, it also is a sign of defensiveness.

3. Listen closely to his voice. Vocal changes also can give away lies. If a person's overall pitch changes, it may be because he is lying. For example, if he starts out speaking in a low and relaxed manner and his voice suddenly changes to a higher pitch and sounds uncomfortable, it could be related to the fact that he is deceiving you. Stuttering, stammering, talking too rapidly and mumbling also are all associated with lying.

4. Pay attention to body language. When a person is not telling the truth, she will not likely display relaxed and comfortable body language. Seek out awkward body language signs, such as stiffness, looking away from the other person, blinking a lot, avoidance of eye contact, looking up and elevated eyebrows.

5. Think about the person's attention to detail. One indication that a person is lying is insufficient detail in telling a story, simply because the story isn't true. However, this also can go the other way. In some situations, liars try to overcompensate by embellishing and giving too much detail instead. Be alert for signs of either too little or too much detail.

6. Note if he tries to change the subject. When a person doesn't want to discuss something, it is understandable that he will want to quickly get away from the topic. If a person keeps trying to change the discussion or acts relieved when the subject finally changes, it could be a sign that he is lying.

7. Look out for inconsistencies. If things that a person says do not match up, then that is a very telling sign of lying. For example, if a person says that she went to the grocery store on Saturday night, but then it suddenly changes to Sunday night, she probably is being dishonest.

8. Determine whether his words align with his facial expressions. For instance, if someone says something like "I care about our relationship" but has a tight and angry look on his face, it may be a sign of lying.

Tips & Warnings

• Be aware of too much justification. If a person uses a lot of phrasing, such as "honestly" or "let me give it to you straight," it could point straight to deception.

References

• Way-of-the-Mind.com: Signs of Lying
• Truth About Deception: Nonverbal Signs of Lying
• Speech Training: Speaking With People -- Detecting Lies