We have all done it and also know that many people do it to us too.
1. Get Started with Reading the Liar’s Body Language
It was once stated in a Quentin Tarantino movie that people who have served time in prison have a typical way of walking, as if they are carrying a few bricks on their shoulder. Such typical, body language traits are present in liars too.
Many liars try not able to face their audience with an open stance. Their palms might be folded tight and they might be a bit fidgety. A tightly clinched fist or slight blushing on the face or around the ears too is reflective of a lie.
However, the more seasoned liars can easily hide such traits. These liars can be found out by reading more into their face rather than their body. Some of the most experienced liars too tend to develop typical facial mannerisms when lying. This includes increased creasing in their forehead or a nervous smile before answering questions.
Some liars tend to place their hands very firmly on the chair or table as if they are holding on to these objects to save their lives. This is essentially a way of de-stressing the body that is reacting to the growing anxiety within them.
2. Catching Liars by Noticing their Eyes
Those who are good at grasping the eye language have a much better chance of find out if they are being lied to. Apart from the seasoned crooks, most liars cannot hold their glare straight towards a person. They tend to look around or divert their range of vision, desperately hoping that their nervousness will not be revealed. The most unskilled of liars have a tendency to look downwards when lying. Their eyes tend to wander about. This is caused by their guilt that makes it difficult for them to maintain eye contact.
3. Lookout for Inconsistencies to Identify Liars
Even the more experienced liars can commit the mistake of not remembering the story they had spun to hide the facts. This is something you can use to your advantage. Just try to remember the things the person you suspect of lying is saying. After a few minutes, question about the smallest of details that the liar had mentioned. If the person isn't an expert liar, he is bound to make mistakes in answering the question. This is the easiest way to find out if you have been lied to.
4. Liars are Prone to Getting Anxious
Most folks suffer from some form of anxiety when lying. You can use this to find out if somebody is lying. All you need to do is watch-out for the typical signs that suggest an increased degree of nervousness. Typical traits of a person getting anxious when lying include sweating excessively, talking too fast, getting fidgety with the legs or arms or stammering. For instance, a person lying to you might repeatedly change his seated position, as if the chair or sofa is making him feel very uncomfortable.
5. Catch Liars by Identifying Superficial Talk
Most liars are prone to avoiding the subject which they fear will expose their act. This can be easily identified. You need to notice if a particular topic is making a person uncomfortable. The person you suspect of lying might continuously try to change the subject or ignore it with a nervous laugh. These are tell-tale signs of a liar.
Many liars create another kind of trace when communicating, i.e. they are not very assertive. You might find the suspected person giving very short or vague answers. This kind of superficial talk lacks any degree of surety. This is a major indicator that the person isn't sure what he is talking about, i.e. he is either lying or trying to cover-up the facts.
6. Concluding Thoughts: Being a Keen Observer is Elementary to Identify Liars
If you find it difficult to use any of the above-listed techniques for identifying a liar, just remember than your ability to detect lies is essentially a result of your observation skills. As one of the best on-screen personas to identify liars, Sherlock Holmes, once said, “It’s elementary…”
