How to Tell When Someone is Lying: Body Language
Most people who know how to tell when someone is lying will look at the eyes first. It’s common knowledge that the eyes can betray someone who is lying, but the rest of the body can also give the truth away too. Hands, legs…even arms and fingers can be clear signs that can show you how to tell when someone is lying. There are lots of ‘body language lying signs’ to look for, so lots of help is at hand if you need to know how to tell when someone is lying.
The Hands: It’s not uncommon for someone to put their hand to their face when they’re thinking about something deeply; these aren’t signs that someone is lying. But if they move their hand to their mouth, throat, nose or ears (this may manifest itself in an ear scratch or eye rub) when they’re making a statement or answering a question, then you need to pay attention as these are key indicators in how to tell when someone is lying: this person is not confident about what they are saying and are trying to distract you! So – when someone’s fiddling with their face when they’re actually unwittingly giving you a masterclass in how to tell when someone is lying!
Lack of movement: When we really mean something, we tend to gesture with our limbs, even if we don’t realise it! So when the gestures don’t seem to flow naturally they can show us how to tell when someone is lying. Some liars will try to compensate by making gestures that seem ‘wooden’ or ‘rehearsed’. A liar will also take a more defensive position, occupying as little space as possible. A liar is more likely to keep his arms still and his hands in his pockets. The body language will be ‘closed’ – fingers scrunched up. In fact, ‘openness’ is a key thing to look for if you want to find someone honest, and finding the opposite is key in how to tell when someone is lying. Palms up are a sign of honesty; palms down can mean defensiveness and dishonesty.
The openness or otherwise of hands can be an important key in how to tell when someone is lying
Half-hearted shrug: The liar aims to show you that they’re not bothered about the outcome by shrugging, only they can’t carry it off completely. It’s a pathetic attempt at appearing relaxed but it’s a great indicator to watch out for if you need to know how to tell when someone is lying. Watch out for it!
Context is Everything if You Need to Know How to Tell when Someone is Lying
Do the words match the gestures, or vice versa?
It can be as obvious as someone nodding their head while saying ‘no’, but there are other things to look out for if you need to know how to tell when someone is lying. We’ve all seen people do this on purpose; as when someone tries not to laugh when someone falls over. However, it can be unconscious too and it can last for a fraction of a second, but it’s an important factor in how to tell when someone is lying. ‘Human lie detectors’ are people who can naturally pick up on and analyse these micro-expressions much more quickly than the rest of us. Video recordings can assist us nowadays when the person under suspicion is being interviewed on television, for example. Sometimes a micro-expression at odds with the general feeling of the conversation and this is a clear sign for those who need to tell when someone is lying. Someone guilty trying to appear innocent of a crime can be ‘caught’ by freeze-frame smiling for a tiny fraction of a second midway through a solemn proclamation of sadness. (This type of expression is sometimes referred to as ‘duper’s delight’ – their simple joy at having got away with something).
How to Tell When Someone is Lying: Does the gesture match what the person is saying?
Is the timing off? Timing is a crucial factor if you need to know how to tell when someone is lying. A nod of affirmation occurs at exactly the same time as the nodder makes the statement, if they are telling the truth. The same goes for pointing, or angry gestures. If they occur after the words, then something is amiss!
The same applies for emotions. Many of us have had to ‘look surprised’ about something we weren’t meant to have known – an observant onlooker would have detected the lack of spontaneity in your facial expressions and reactions and you can try to do the same if you need to know how to tell when someone is lying. ‘Human lie detectors’ are people who can naturally pick up on and analyse these micro-expressions much more quickly than the rest of us. Video recordings can assist us nowadays when the person under suspicion is being interviewed on television, for example. Sometimes a micro-expression at odds with the general feeling of the conversation Someone guilty trying to appear innocent of a crime can be ‘caught’ by freeze-frame smiling for a tiny fraction of a second midway through a solemn proclamation of sadness. It can be quite creepy when you catch it in action, but it’s important in how to tell when someone is lying. This type of expression is sometimes referred to as ‘deceptor’s delight’ – their simple joy at having got away with something.
So, as you can see, there are a variety of things we need to look out for if we need to know how to tell when someone is lying. But just observing might not be enough – we might have to employ special strategies and techniques if we’re to find out how to tell when someone is lying.