How To Tell If Someone Is Lying
It can be very difficult to discern how to tell if someone is lying. Lying has been a part of history for as long as the truth has. Most people actually feel comfortable telling the truth, though. Why shouldn't they? But sometimes you get suspicious that the person next to you isn't being honest with you.
So how can you tell if someone is lying? How can you be sure it's not easier for you to believe they're lying, even when they might not be? Some people want to discover the truth so much that they may see lying signs when, in fact, none exist.
So, on to the problem: How to tell if someone is lying. Why would this person lie to you? What do they have to gain by lying? Perhaps they are afraid of punishment. Perhaps they're afraid that they will lose some power that they feel they have over you.
To be accurate in lie-spotting, you need to know why the other person is lying to you. What would you do to him if you knew the truth?
For example, a child might lie to his parents because he is afraid he'll be grounded if they know the truth. He is certain that telling the truth will bring punishment. You, as the parent, are in a good position to tell whether the child is lying or not.
So now we're in a better position to figure out how to tell if someone is lying. Let's try to find the truth...
How does he normally talk? Watch his body language, to determine if it's “normal” for him or not. You already know his regular habits, so now watch closely and see if anything has changed. Since you know what his normal body, hand and eye movements are, this can help you detect differences when a lie occurs.
You can take notice of how stress influences his behavior. This should give you tips about how to tell if someone is lying. Most of the signs of lying hinge on the fact that it's stressful to lie, for the mind and body, and there are bound to be signs. Humans actually aren't built very well for lying.
Look for signs that the person is lying. They may have less body movement than they normally do. Or, on the opposite end of the scale, some people become over-dramatic, to try to make you believe the lie.
How to tell if someone is lying... there are ways, like those that we have touched on, but it's not a perfect science. Sometimes you can tell, but sometimes, despite all your powers of observation, the lie is too well-hidden, or the liar is too well-versed in untruth.