Lie Detection: How to Tell When Someone is Lying
Do you have reason to believe that someone is lying to you? Without the power to read minds, this can be quite a challenge trying to figure out the truth. However, in cases where you are sure the person has the motive to lie, there are behavioral cues to look for. Here are some ways to test whether they might be trying to pull the wool over your eyes.
Inconsistency is Something to Look for
The truth has one version and one alone. When someone narrates a story of what happened, they need to have a consistent version every time they tell it. Nevertheless, this is where most lies are found out. Your job is easy; identify what changes in the versions of the truth they tell you. This often works well if the person’s first confession was written or recorded. This way there will be no refusing the difference.
Biting the Lips ad Covering the Mouth
This is another way of telling if someone is telling you a lie. In most instances trained behavioral analysts will look at this as a way of checking when someone is telling the truth. Sometimes one may use their hand to cover their mouth while they talk. They may even bite their lip during the process. Scientists believe this is a subconscious way of keeping the truth to themselves.
Repeating Your Questions
Response to questions is another way of telling when someone is telling a lie. As you ask your question, you need to be keen on how the person answers. Sometimes when someone is telling a lie, they will repeat the question you just asked them often. This is due to the fact that it can be hard to think fast. Most of the time people will need to buy time and this helps do just that.
Failure to Remember Details of What they First Said
This is another classic method you can use to know you are being lied to. It may sound like the first point mentioned. However, it is not the same. Unlike the initial point where one may add new contradictory information; here, one fails to recall what they said to begin with. This may very well indicate that the person is lying to you.
Look at the Gestures and Hand Movements
For many years people have believed that detecting certain eye movements could lead to knowing a lie; however there are better methods of knowing this. People make a variety of gestures especially with the hands and they say a lot. Most of the time a person who is lying will have animated hand motion and in many cases inappropriate emotions on their face.
Sure, it may be tasking to figure out the truth; nonetheless, the above techniques will allow you to at least get close to learning what is true.