How can you tell if someone is lying?

Answer 1

How to Detect Lies:

Signs of Deception:
Body Language of Lies:

• Physical expression will be limited and stiff, with few arm and hand movements. Hand, arm and leg movement are toward their own body the liar takes up less space.

• A person who is lying to you will avoid making eye contact.

• Hands touching their face, throat & mouth. Touching or scratching the nose or behind their ear. Not likely to touch his chest/heart with an open hand.

Emotional Gestures & Contradiction:

• Timing and duration of emotional gestures and emotions are off a normal pace. The display of emotion is delayed, stays longer it would naturally, then stops suddenly.

• Timing is off between emotions gestures/expressions and words. Example: Someone says "I love it!" when receiving a gift, and then smile after making that statement, rather then at the same time the statement is made.

• Gestures/expressions don’t match the verbal statement, such as frowning when saying “I love you.”

• Expressions are limited to mouth movements when someone is faking emotions (like happy, surprised, sad, awe, )instead of the whole face. For example; when someone smiles naturally their whole face is involved: jaw/cheek movement, eyes and forehead push down, etc.

Interactions and Reactions:

• A guilty person gets defensive. An innocent person will often go on the offensive.

• A liar is uncomfortable facing his questioner/accuser and may turn his head or body away.

• A liar might unconsciously place objects (book, coffee cup, etc.) between themselves and you.

Verbal Context and Content:

• A liar will use your words to make answer a question. When asked, “Did you eat the last cookie?” The liar answers, “No, I did not eat the last cookie.”

•A statement with a contraction is more likely to be truthful: “ I didn't do it” instead of “I did not do it”

• Liars sometimes avoid "lying" by not making direct statements. They imply answers instead of denying something directly.

• The guilty person may speak more than natural, adding unnecessary details to convince you... they are not comfortable with silence or pauses in the conversation.

• A liar may leave out pronouns and speak in a monotonous tone. When a truthful statement is made the pronoun is emphasized as much or more than the rest of the words in a statement.

• Words may be garbled and spoken softly, and syntax and grammar may be off. In other
words, his sentences will likely be muddled rather than emphasized.

Answer 2

Try to be understanding and listen to the person's reasons for lying. Was he trying not to hurt you? Was she afraid you would be angry, upset or disappointed?

Look at your possible role in having someone lie to you. Are you someone who gets so upset hearing the truth that others feel they can't be honest with you?

Look for body language that might indicate someone is lying, such as not looking you in the eye when speaking to you, being fidgety, or acting nervous or uncomfortable.

Listen for inconsistencies in what the person tells you, such as different stories on different days, different time frames, mistakes in remembering details or mixing up details.

Notice if the person steadfastly resists answering any questions. Extreme defensiveness could mean that he or she is trying to hide something.

Notice if the person accuses you of lying or being deceitful when you really haven't been. This could reflect the other person's own underlying behavior, which he or she is projecting onto you rather than owning up to it.

Listen to your gut and intuition. You may just know someone is lying. If you are not sure, don't jump to conclusions. Try to get some evidence to back up your hunch.

Consider asking directly if the person has lied to you. Many people feel bad getting caught up in lies, and find it a relief to finally be honest.

(Please Note: Eyes don't always mean a lie. Some cultures it's considered impolite to hold eye contact. Also, shy or reserved people will avoid eye contact to prevent themselves from getting nervous. If someone is in a situation where they are being confronted, they may exhibit all signs of lying, while they are actually telling the truth.

In the end, it's the story, not the behavior, that you should use to determine if the person is lying.)

Answer 3

If someone lies to you then it is understandable that you will feel wronged by it, but please consider all that "lievenn" said.

Sometimes it is more important to look at why that person felt the need to lie. It can indicate an underlying problem that needs attention.

You can't assume that everyone who doesn't make eye contact is lying, it can also indicate many other things. In my case, when feeling depressed, I don't make eye contact at all if I can avoid it, as I feel other people will be able to see what an awful person I am, or can somehow know about my negative feelings and thoughts.

I'm hoping that as you asked this question in "Mental Health" you have realised that there be more to the lying than first meets the eye - hence my serious answer.

I hope I've helped.

Answer 4

Your best bet is to go with your gut feeling - assuming that you find your intuition and perception is accurate, based on past experiences.

Experts in non verbal communication will tell you that there are lots of clues as to when someone is lying, but you can't only rely on that.

You don't say what the context of your question is, and whether or not you're thinking of a specific person: it does occur to me that in fact it might not matter if this person is lying - it's the fact that you THINK they could be lying which matters. You don't trust them - surely that's the key thing here?

Answer 5

Body language is a sure sign of detecting if some one is lying, especially in the eye area or fidgeting. However sadly there are some very good (well not good just sadly to experienced) liars who are able to cover up. But I always say a liar will always get caught out in the end!!!

I find lying the most annoying human behaviour, it is just a pointless, revolting, hurtful, untrustworthy act!!!

Answer 6

If someone is lying they might scratch their nose or cover their mouth they also might not make eye contact and look down, blinking a lot is also a sign of lying.

Answer 7

It's all in the eyes..they usually can't look at you straight in the eyes, or at all! Then sometimes they'll look down towards the ground, maybe put hands in their pockets, (if they have pockets), start shifting around, and sometimes stammer a bit.
Then a silly grin may even develop on their lying face (usually lopsided grin) that's how I can tell. You can really catch them later too in asking them what it was they said. See then if their story has changed any.

Answer 8

Often the hand will cover the mouth note different tones in voice they will often beat around the bush before they actually get to the point they want to make
Scratching their nose playing with their ear a lot of the body language is happening in the facial area .

Answer 9

In the brain, when a person is lying, they think using a certain side of their brain which causes for them not to look directly, at you, but look to the left.

Answer 10

Watch their eyes. If they look away then they are probably lying. Also people who tell lies tend to scratch their noses.