How good are you at finding out if someone is lying to you? A studyconducted by the University of California states that instinct is the best tool we have to discover a lie, an ancestral mechanism that works perfectly. However, we often fail because we use our rational mind and it plays tricks on us.
Either way, the good news is that extraverbal language reveals many
clues as to the veracity of what we are saying so we are left with nothing else
do that to watch out for these signs. Lillian Glass, one of the greatest
experts in the body language of our time, gives us some pointers on how to spot lies on a daily basis by interviewing criminals, business executives
or ordinary people.
How to know when a person is lying?
1. Quickly change your head position. If you ask a question and see that the person immediately moves their head, it is likely that they want to hide something from you. It is an unconscious movement with which our interlocutor tries to hide or to escape.
2. Breathing increases the pace. When a person lies normally, the rhythm of his breathing is interrupted at times, as if it were hard for him to breathe. It is an automatic reaction caused by the increase in heart rate and circulation which causes tension in the body and, as a result, breathing is more difficult.3. Stay still. We are all aware that telling a lie makes us move nervously. Therefore, some people try to control this reflex by staying still. However, in a relaxed conversation it is normal for us to move and make natural gestures to emphasize our message.
4. Repeat words and phrases. Since he knows he is lying, this person tries to convince us by repeating a few words or phrases several times. This trend can also indicate that he is trying to validate the message in his mind or that he is taking some time to better structure his lie.
5. Gives too much information. When you ask a question and someone gives you too many details, many of which are not even relevant, that person stands
probably lying. It does this to reinforce information and to appear sincere and open. However, if you notice it, it almost never gives you spatial, temporal or sensory details, as these are more difficult to
to invent.
6. He touches his mouth. When people lie they tend to put their hands to their mouths. This is an automatic gesture to indicate that our interlocutor does not want to address this question and chooses to end the conversation or lie. Other times the hand is brought to the neck, an unconscious reaction to calm the nervous tingling caused by muscle tension.
7. Blinks continuously. We usually blink at
regular intervals, if you notice that a person suddenly starts
Quickly blinking is probably telling you a lie. This is because lying requires more cognitive resources, which are also activated by blinking.
8. It is hard to speak. If the person is found lying for a long time you will notice that
she will find it harder and harder to speak, this is due to stress. Indeed, lying
activates the sympathetic nervous system and reduces the flow of saliva, so the membranes of the mouth dry up and it becomes more difficult to maintain the rhythm of speech.
9. He moves his feet too much. In many cases, people who lie are able to manage hand movements but forget about the feet, which move when we are nervous or feel uncomfortable. Therefore, this too can be a sign that they are lying to us.
10. He repeats your words to you. When a person finds himself lying, he takes a defensive and hostile attitude, so it is very likely that by asking him a question he will repeat it to you or answer you in your own words.
A word of warning: remember that many of these signs are also symptoms of nervousness and do not always indicate that they are lying to you. A sign alone is not enough to uncover a lie, it is necessary to evaluate the behavior as a whole and in the context in which it develops.
