MBOMBELA – In the ideal world, we would all have Pinoccio’s nose. Liars’ tales would never get far and life would be a lot easier. Unfortunately, we have all received normal noses that don’t tell on lies.
He may be lying to you, she’s probably bending the truth a little. People lie. A lot.
Experts say that it takes a trained eye and ear to spot a liar. Take a look at our summary of what to look out for with a suspected liar.In many cases, inconsistencies in someone’s story will be proof that you are being lied too.
However, some liars have become such word artists that many would be oblivious to the lies staring them in the face. According to Dr. Leanne ten Brinke, a forensic psychologist at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, there are many tell-tale signs signaling that a liar is doing what he does best.
- Dr. Lillian Glass, a behavioral analyst and body language expert, says that a liar will make sudden head movements when asked a direct question. In her book ‘The body language of lying,’ she explains that this can be noticed just before the person responds to the question.
- Liars tend to make sudden head movements when replying to direct questions. Be on the look out for jerks, retractions, or tilts. If the head wobbles, the truth is probably not all there.
- Experts say that a liar’s breathing may point to an untruth. “Essentially, the person is experiencing breathlessness due to their increased heart rate and changes in their blood flow, which is caused by the pressure of lying,” Glass said.
- Maureen O’Sullivan, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of San Francisco, warns against behavior that is different from the person’s normal behavior and temperament. Where a generally anxious person behaves very calm all of a sudden, or where a calm and collected person becomes agitated, lying may be at play.
- People also tend to fidget or keep their hands behind their backs when they lie.
- This may be accompanied by a story with too much detail. An embroidered answer to a simple question should be taken note of as this is a classic method liars use to seem more credible.
- According to O’ Sullivan, who spent 20 years studying lying, a fake smile should send you running – if the smile doesn’t reach the person’s eyes, be aware.
Source: webmd.com
