Research has consistently shown that people’s ability to detect lies is no more accurate than chance, or flipping a coin. This finding holds across all types of people — students, psychologists, judges, job interviewers and law enforcement personnel (Personality and Social Psychology Review, 2006).
Are you getting the whole truth and nothing but? The answer may be lying right in front of you.
The signs that someone is lying aren’t always easy to decipher.
And, unfortunately, there’s no way to determine whether or not someone’s being honest with 100% certainty.
But there are some obvious signs that someone might be lying. Keep reading for a list of signs you can watch out for.
The words people commonly use and how they speak can also indicate when they are being less than honest. There are a few telltale phrases that signal someone might be lying.
1.Overemphasizing their trustworthiness: “To be honest.”
“To tell you the truth”
“Believe me”
“Let me be clear”
“The fact is”
2. Stalling Tactics: “Did I Do It? Of Course Not!”
Skipping contractions: “I did not do it.”
3.Making Sweeping Statements: “I Would Never” Or “I Always.”
4.Hedging Their Statements: “As Far As I Recall.”
They’ll say things like:
“As far as I recall”
“If you really think about it”
“What I remember is”
“The way I see it”
5.They Avoid “I” Statements.
Dodging a direct answer: “Do you really think I would do such a thing?”
Going into defensive mode: “How can you doubt me?”
6.Deflecting And Evading: “Don’T You Have Something Better To Do?”
Listen for phrases like:
“Why do you want to know that?”
“That’s not important”
“Don’t you have something better to do?”
“What are you talking about?”
How To Detect A Lie In 10 Ways
- Step 1: Watch their hands Watch the suspected liar’s hands. Body language studies show that people tend to touch their face and scratch their nose when they lie.
- Step 2: Follow their eyes Follow their eyes. Liars tend to blink a lot and don’t maintain eye contact.
- Step 3: Note their words Note their words. A liar will skip contractions–saying ‘I did not’ instead of ‘I didn’t’–and avoid pronouns, using someone’s full name instead of ‘he’ or ‘she.’
- Step 4: Check their smile Check their smile. People who are telling the truth use many facial muscles, but liars smile with just their mouth.
- Step 5: Note their posture Notice their posture. Liars tend to keep their body posture closed (by folding their arms, for example). They may also unconsciously put an object between you, like a cup of coffee.
- Step 6: Pause before responding Pause momentarily before responding; if the silence makes them uncomfortable, they may be lying.
- Step 7: Note the details Pay attention to details. If they provide more information than necessary, that’s a bad sign. People tend to be overly specific when they’re making something up.
- Step 8: Change the subject Change the subject. If they seem relieved, that’s probably a red flag that they’ve been lying straight to your face!
- Step 9: Teach your liar a lesson What you do from here is up to you. It may be smart to file your knowledge away for future use. However, if you’re noticing a trend, it might just be time to teach your liar a lesson.
- FACT: In a recent poll, 91% of Americans reported lying on a regular basis.
You Will Need
- A good ear
- Good eyes
- A healthy skepticism
How To Tell If Someone Is Lying Through Text
- Being Purposefully Vague. …
- Spotting a Lie in Text. …
- Overly Complicating Things. …
- Avoiding Certain Questions. …
- Going Out of Their Way to Proclaim Honesty. …
- Their Wording is “Off” …
- They Hit You With a “G2G” or a “BBL” …
- Trust Your Intuition.
