Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Recognize lies by paying attention to the face and eyes
• Method 2 of 4: Recognize lies in verbal responses
• Method 3 of 4: Recognize lies in tics
• Method 4 of 4: Recognize lies by questioning someone
• Tips
• Warnings

By looking closely at someone's facial expressions, you can avoid becoming a victim of fraud. It can also help to follow your heart when you want to start a relationship with someone you don't know. Analysts use lie detection when they select a jury and the police use it during interrogations. In order to use these techniques, you must learn to recognize the small expressions on a person's face and body that many people don't notice. It takes practice but it is well worth it.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Recognize lies by paying attention to the face and eyes

1. Watch for micro-expressions. Micro-expressions are the facial expressions that disappear from someone's face within a fraction of a second, showing how someone really feels under the lie. Some people recognize them more quickly than others, but almost everyone can teach themselves to recognize them.
   • When a person is lying, the micro-expression is often a look of fear characterized by eyebrows being raised to the center of the forehead causing short lines to appear in the skin.
2. Pay attention to touching the nose and covering the mouth. People touch their noses more often when they lie and less when they are telling the truth. This may be because adrenaline rushes to the capillaries in the nose, causing it to itch. A person who lies more often covers his or her mouth with one hand and places the hands near the mouth more often, as if to cover lies they speak with their hand. If the mouth seems tense and the lips are pursed, this may indicate anxiety.
3. Also pay attention to the eyes. Often someone's eye movements show whether they remember something or come up with something on the spot. If someone remembers something, they move their eyes up or to the left if they are right-handed. When they come up with something, they often move their eyes up and to the right. The opposite of both rules is true for left-handed people. People who lie also blink more often than when they tell the truth. In men, if they lie, they also rub their eyes more often.
   • Also pay attention to the eyelids. These close more often than usual when someone hears or sees something they disagree with. However, this can also be a fairly small change, in order to draw conclusions it is important to know in advance how often someone blinks in periods without stress.
   • Be careful about judging the truthfulness of someone's statement based solely on their eye movements. According to recent studies, it is not so certain that eye movements can be used to decide whether someone is lying or not. Many scientists believe that eye movements cannot be used to determine the truthfulness of someone's statements.
4. Do not use eye contact, or the lack thereof, as the only indicator to judge the truthfulness of someone's statements. Despite what many people think, a liar doesn't always avoid eye contact. People break eye contact so they can look at objects which helps them refocus and remember what they want to say. Liars sometimes make eye contact more often to appear more sincere. This can be used to avoid discomfort and to show that one is telling the truth.
   • Some liars have been shown to make more eye contact precisely because they know that eye contact is an indicator. Never use eye contact as the only indicator, but as one of the indicators in a situation where increasingly difficult questions are being asked.

Method 2 of 4: Recognize lies in verbal responses

1. Watch the voice. A person's voice makes it easy to tell whether someone is lying or telling the truth. If someone is lying, they may suddenly start talking much faster or slower than normal, or the voice may suddenly sound higher than normal or vibrate. Stuttering and stammering can also be signs that someone is lying.
2. Pay attention to exaggerated detail. If someone tells you too much, like "" my mom lives in France, it's really nice there, isn't it? Don't you like the Eiffel Tower? It is so beautiful there "." If someone talks about a topic in too much detail, the person may be desperately trying to convince you that he / she is telling the truth.
3. Be aware of impulsive emotional responses. Timing and duration can suddenly no longer add up when someone is lying. This is because the person in question has been practicing an answer (because they are expecting an interrogation) or because the person is just chatting just to be able to say something.
   • If you ask someone a question and the person gives an answer right after the question, there is a chance that that person is lying. In that case, this is because that person has prepared the answer or is already thinking about it in order to be able to close the topic as quickly as possible.
   • Another sign that someone is lying is the omission of relevant times, such as: I went to work at 5 and I came home at 5, I was exhausted. In this example, nothing is said about what happened between 5:00 AM and 5:00 PM.
4. Pay close attention to the person's response to your questions. Someone who speaks the truth has no trouble defending themselves because they are telling the truth. A lying person must compensate for his lie by attacking, diverting attention, or using some other procrastination technique.
   • An honest person will often come up with a more detailed response if someone accuses him of lying, someone who is lying cannot do that because he has already said everything right and can only repeat what he has already said.
   • Listen for delayed responses to questions. An honest answer comes from memory, a lie requires briefly checking what has been told to others in order to avoid inconsistency and to be able to come up with new details if necessary. It is important to remember that people who remember something look upwards, even if this is not always the case.
5. Be aware of the other person's word usage. Words can give you clues that someone is lying (or not). Some clues include:
   • Repeating your own words when answering a question.
   • Slowing down techniques such as asking to repeat the question asked. Other techniques are: saying that this is a good question, that the question cannot be answered with only yes or no, or confrontational reactions such as: that depends on what you mean by X, or where did you get that?
   • Avoiding certain words to make it absolutely clear that what the liar means is clear.
   • Speaking in muddled sentences without it being clear what is meant. Liars often stop halfway through a sentence to start over, and often don't finish sentences.
   • Use humor or sarcasm to avoid the topic.
   • Use of statements such as: to be fair, frankly, these can be used to mislead the listener.
   • Responding too quickly with a negative or positive statement such as: did you only do this halfway? Answered no, I didn't do it halfway, as an attempt to avoid the impression of a delayed response.
6. Also pay attention if someone repeats sentences. If a suspect keeps using the same words often, he is probably telling a lie. When someone tries to lie, they often try to remember a sentence that sounds credible. When asked for an explanation, a liar will continue to use the same persuasive sentence.
7. Also pay attention to breaks. This is a tactic where the liar breaks himself off in the middle of a sentence to suddenly start talking about something else. By doing this one tries to shift the focus. Someone might try to change the subject in this clever way: "I went - Hey, did you get your hair cut this weekend?"
   • Be especially wary of compliments from the person in question. The liar knows that people often respond well to compliments, so the liar tries to use this against you by giving compliments to divert attention. Therefore, be wary if someone suddenly gives you a compliment.

Method 3 of 4: Recognize lies in tics

1. Watch for sweating. People sweat more when they lie. Sweat is one of the indicators that a polygraph (lie detector) uses to recognize a lie. But again, this is not a reliable indication of lying because some people sweat more because they are nervous or shy or have a condition that makes them sweat more than usual. It is one indicator that should be seen in conjunction with shaking, flushing and difficulty swallowing.
2. Notice if someone nods. If one nods or shakes his head contrary to what is said, this can be a sign that someone is lying, this is also called incongruity.
   • An example of this is someone who says he / she has done something such as: I thoroughly cleaned those pots while they were shaking their head, this may indicate that they only briefly wiped the pots without thoroughly cleaning them. Unless someone is a trained liar, they make mistakes like this unconsciously, in which case the physical response is what shows the truth.
   • If a person hesitates before nodding, this could also be a sign. Someone who is telling the truth often nods to indicate that their answer or statement is correct while saying it, if someone is lying there may be a delay.
3. Watch out for fiddling. A sign that someone is lying is constant fiddling with things or their own body. Fiddling is caused by nervous energy that comes from the fear of being caught. To get rid of this energy, liars fiddle with their chair, a handkerchief or a body part.
4. Observe to what extent the person mirrors behavior. Normally people mimic the behavior of those they talk to, this is done to show that they are interested in each other. When people lie, they don't imitate behavior because they are too busy creating a new reality for the listener. Listed below are a few examples of failed imitatory behavior, from which you can infer that something may be going on:
   • Lean away. If a person is telling the truth or has nothing to hide, he or she will tend to lean towards the listener. On the other hand, a liar will be more likely to sit back, a sign that they don't want to give out more information than necessary. Leaning back can also mean disinterest or that they don't like it. They want to leave.
   • When people speak the truth, they often imitate the movements of the listener's head and body as a form of interaction between speaker and listener. A person trying to lie may be reluctant to do this. Not imitating body movements is therefore also a sign that someone may be lying. Sometimes an attempt to move a hand to another position can be recognized.
5. Look at the throat. A person may inadvertently lubricate the throat, which becomes difficult when someone is lying, swallowing, or clearing the throat. Lying causes adrenaline, which first produces a lot of saliva and then little saliva. When a lot of saliva is produced, a lot must be swallowed and when nothing more is produced, the throat must be cleared.
6. Check breathing. Someone who lies breathes faster. The mouth may become drier (requiring throat clearing). This is also because the body is stressed, causing the heart to beat faster and the lungs to need more air.
7. Pay attention to the other body parts. Look at the hands, arms and legs. In a stress-free situation, people are usually comfortable using elaborate hand and arm movements and spreading their legs. A lying person gestures less, and appears stiffer and less free in their movements. The hands are then used to touch the face, ears or neck. Folded arms or legs and a lack of hand gestures can be a sign that a person doesn't want to give too much information.
   • Liars avoid normal hand gestures. Most liars avoid pointing, open hand gestures, touching the fingertips in a triangle (this is often associated with thinking out loud), and so on.
   • Watch the knuckles. Standing liars may grab a chair or other object so hard that it turns their knuckles white without being noticed.
   • Behaviors normally associated with makeup, such as playing with hair, straightening a tie, or fiddling with a cufflink, are also characteristic of liars.
   • Two caveats are:
     • Liars may sit down on purpose to appear comfortable. Yawning and bored behavior can be a sign that someone is trying to appear too casual to cover up the lie. Not all people who seem comfortable are liars.
     • Keep in mind that these signs can also be the result of someone's nerves and don't necessarily mean someone is lying.

Method 4 of 4: Recognize lies by questioning someone

1. Be careful. While it is impossible to always notice dishonesty and lies, it is also possible to notice lies when they are not. A number of factors can make someone appear to be lying when caused by: shame, shyness, uneasiness or a feeling of shame / inferiority. A stressed person can easily be seen as a liar because both show the same behavioral traits. Therefore, it is important to focus on a cluster of behaviors and responses when observing people suspected of lying.
2. Keep the big picture in mind. When assessing body language, verbal responses, and other indicators associated with lying, the following factors should be considered:
   • Is the person normally stressed, outside of the current situation?
   • Does culture play a role? It is possible that the behavior is accepted in another culture while it is considered unfair in another culture.
   • Do you have prejudices about this person? Do you hope this person is lying? Be aware of this and don't let your prejudices guide you!
   • Is there a history of lies with this person? In particular, is he or she experienced in this?
   • Is there a motive and good reason to suspect this person of lying?
   • Are you good at recognizing lies? Have you included the context in your consideration and not just zoomed in on 1 or 2 possible indicators?
3. Take the time to create a relaxed atmosphere. Be careful not to show that you suspect this person and try to imitate the person's body language. During the interview, try to ask the person questions in an understanding way. This approach makes the other person open up more quickly and makes it easier to recognize if the person is lying.
4. Determine a starting value. The starting value in this case is the way the person behaves when they are telling the truth. Knowing how they behave normally also makes it easier to recognize when they are behaving deviantly and are likely to be lying. You can find out how people behave normally by asking some basic questions, because people usually answer questions about themselves truthfully. If you already know the person, you can ask questions that you already know the answer to to find out how they normally behave.
5. Learn to recognize evasive answers. Usually people who lie tell stories that are true but aim to not answer the questions asked. If a person answers a question about whether he ever hits his wife by saying that he loves his wife and therefore wouldn't, he is telling the truth while avoiding the question asked.
6. Keep asking the person to repeat the story. If you are not sure if they are telling the truth, ask them to repeat the story several times. It's difficult to remember fabricated information, so the more often liars have to repeat their fabricated story, the more likely they are to contradict themselves.
   • Ask the person to tell the story backwards. This is very difficult, especially without forgetting details. Even a professional liar can hardly pass this test.
7. Stare at the person you suspect of lying with a look of disbelief. If the person is lying, this is likely to make him / her very uncomfortable. If the person you suspect is lying has spoken the truth, he / she is likely to get very angry or frustrated (pursed lips, low eyebrows, tense eyelids).
8. Use silences. Liars have great difficulty with silences and try to fill them. He or she would like to make you believe lies and in the silence he / she cannot tell whether you believe the lies or not. By remaining patient and silent, you almost force the liars to fill in the silence with further addition to their story where you can probably catch them lying without asking a question over time!
   • Liars often try to fathom you to see if you believe their story. So if you don't show signs they will become very uncomfortable.
   • If you are a good listener you can avoid interruptions, which is a good technique for developing a story. Practice not interrupting others if you normally have that tendency, this will help you recognize lies and become a better listener.
9. Hold on. If possible, check the liar's statements to see if they are correct. A trained liar may be able to give you a number of reasons why you should not talk to the person who can confirm a story. However, these are probably also lies, so it is worthwhile to ignore your reluctance and still talk to this person to make sure what you are saying is correct. Everything that can be checked must be checked!

Tips

• A good way to practice your lie detection skills is to watch shows like Judge Judy and find out who is lying. Trust your instincts and then look further to see if you can see signs of lying in the person you trust the least, even if sometimes they both lie. If you agree with the judge's verdict, you've probably noticed the same signs she did.
• You should always check if a lie makes sense. Most people make things up that don't make sense when they get nervous and lie. If they tell you things that are too detailed, they may be lying. In that case, ask them to repeat the story a few times to make sure they are telling the same story as before.
• Make sure the person lied before confronting the person. You don't want to destroy a friendship or relationship for nothing.
• The more you know about someone, the better you will be able to recognize their way of thinking and the better you will become at recognizing lies.
• Liars can sometimes use objects to detail their lies. For example, if there is a pen on the table, they use it in their story. This can be another sign that a person is lying.
• Quickly changing the subject or making a joke of it can be an indication of lies. Like going very on the defensive and looking away or trying to convince you with direct eye contact. Sometimes they will start questioning you to divert attention from themselves. Some people are very good liars and don't show any signs at all. Then you have to trust your own feelings and proof that you find.
• Some of the behaviors listed above can also occur in people who don't lie. People who are nervous, shy, easily scared, or feel guilty for some other reason, etc., may react nervously when questioned or pressured. These people can quickly become defensive when accused of lying, especially if they cannot stand dishonesty and injustice. This may seem like they are lying, but they are shocked or embarrassed that they are unexpectedly the point of attention.
• Ask for more details if you think someone is lying. If they are in doubt or touch their face, it is a sign that they may be lying.
• Some people have a bad reputation when it comes to lying. Keep in mind that your opinion should not be influenced by prejudice. People change and the effects of a new way of life can be offset by a bad reputation based on the past. So someone's reputation is not everything, which also applies to signs that someone is lying, these are part of a larger context and cannot be seen in isolation. Also be aware that bad reputations are sometimes caused by someone else who benefited from it in the past and / or present.
• Knowing the person makes it easier to tell when someone is lying.
• While any given example may seem like telling a lie, a combination of a number of them is a good indicator of lies.
• Most people usually speak the truth and value their reputation. Liars do almost anything for their reputation, they boost their reputation so that they appear more credible or attractive than they are.
• Some people are just shy, and don't really lie if they are very nervous or don't look at you. Never rule that out.
• Some people are trained or even professional liars. In that case, they have made up a story so many times that they believe it themselves, and can perfectly spoon up all days, dates and times. In reality, every time we tell a story, our memories change a little, so making up memories that we fool ourselves with is not surprising. Sometimes you just have to accept that you can't spot every lie.
• Liars don't say much. If you ask them: did you do this? Won't they answer with a simple yes or no. Therefore, be careful. Other formulations such as: did you break the pot? or how did you do it? can lead to an answer.
• Saying "I don't believe you" or saying "That doesn't sound like the truth" can make the liar angry or speak louder than usual. Try to negotiate rather than get accusing or verbally rough.
• Some liars will give more information than necessary.
• If someone tries to lie, they may stutter or fidget or try to convince you in various ways such as crying or begging. They will also make a lot of eye contact, so watch out for this!
• People who are psychopaths or sociopaths can sometimes lie so well that they manipulate reality to adjust it to suit their ideal. Better not to try to expose these people and instead stay as far away from them as possible so that you don't get caught in their web of lies. These people are only afraid of themselves and will, without hesitation, pile up lie after lie, despite how much pain this means to others.
• Certain behaviors, as mentioned above, can occur when someone focuses deeply on speaking (for example, when a topic is complicated and someone is stressed).
• Watch for rapid eye movements. A liar will try to look at you but probably won't make eye contact and look around the room.
• Instead of questioning, you can ask them a related question every day.
• When the suspected liar will recall events, his gaze will naturally drop down as he thinks. If he keeps staring at you and doesn't think about it, it could mean the story is rehearsed and he's lying.
• Liars can slowly and clearly give the shortest possible answer, stopping regularly and closing their mouths.
• Research body language, vocal inflections, and their eyes. They usually give away that someone is lying.
• Botox and other forms of plastic surgery make it more difficult to spot when someone is lying and can cause false positives. It is difficult to speak clearly with a face that has been frozen by cosmetic treatments.
• Be wary if the person agrees with you every time. Some inexperienced liars go with you in everything. Therefore, try suggestive statements such as: and then you woke up and the dream was over? to avoid.
• If you know someone very well and know that they are stressed, chances are they are telling the truth.
• If someone of the opposite sex knows you're in love and says they're already in a relationship, it could be a lie to get attention. These kinds of claims are often lies, so you should definitely check them.

Warnings

• Be aware that some people like to stare at you. They may have trained themselves to be able to do this so that they can use it to make others uncomfortable or because they think it is polite because someone has told them that eye contact is polite.
• Body language is just one indicator and not a fact. Don't punish a person based on your reading of that person's body language. Make sure your decisions are based on concrete evidence before drawing conclusions. Don't let your personal prejudices influence the process and look for facts, motive and broader consequences. Even though you have the right to feel betrayed if someone cheated on you, this doesn't mean that if you want someone to be a liar, that person actually is.
• Forced laughter is often an attempt to be polite, you shouldn't take this personally. If someone is smiling fake it means that someone wants to make a good impression on you which means that they value you and show you respect.
• Some people always have a dry throat and will therefore swallow and clear their throats more often.
• Be careful about judging the honesty of others. If you're always looking for lies, people will avoid you because they don't feel like interrogation. If you never trust anyone and suspect everyone, this is a sign of a general lack of trust in everyone and not vigilance.
• Studies have shown that interrogations of liars (or people suspected of doing so) should always be conducted in their native language because even people who have a good command of a foreign language do not respond in the same way in a foreign language (both verbal and non-verbal) .
• Some people fiddle when they need to go to the toilet or when it is too cold / hot.
• Be aware of disabilities. A disability can affect the way someone communicates, so comparing it with non-disabled people can lead to misunderstandings. Find out how they respond normally and then look for deviations from it.
  • Some people with developmental delay such as autism and Asperger's syndrome do not like to make eye contact and do not often do so. This is a hallmark of the autism spectrum and not a sign of dishonesty.
  • Anxiety (especially social anxiety disorder and PTSD) can sometimes look like lying; a person can avoid eye contact, avoid people and act nervous.
  • For someone who is deaf or hard of hearing, you should pay more attention to their mouth than their eyes in order to read their lips so that you can better understand what they mean.
  • People who are bipolar are often more likely to talk when they are in a manic episode.

Don't blame them until you are absolutely sure they are lying.