Are you lying, Sir?

Pauk Ekman - Telling Lies

Have you ever wondered: "why didn't I notice that my boyfriend was lying to me?" or "Why didn't I notice that my best friend was lying to me?" Well I can give you the answer for your questions: probably because you weren't paying any attention! Now, don't be offended. It happens to everybody sometimes, or their entire lives, but I am here to help you. I can show you how to pay attention and how to keep your eyes open to the subtle things. So, how can you catch a liar?

According to Paul Ekman, a psychologist and pioneer in the study of emotions and their relation to facial expressions, there are multiple ways to spot a liar. He tells us where we have to look and to what we have to pay attention to. And I just happen to know a thing or two about his research. I'm in a good mood today so I'll share it with you.

First you have to set up a baseline of the person you want to catch when he (or she) is lying, this way you will know what's normal and it will be easier to determine what's not. Okay, a baseline, check! The next step is to pay attention, this might sound easy, but you will have to know what to pay attention to. Here are a few tips, so you will know what to look for in a person:

1. Different explanations than what was overheard 
2. Changing lines during the change of circumstances 
3. Having trouble recalling the last line - Answers are not consistent 
4. The line is too smooth, sounds well rehearsed 
5. Long pauses during a speech 
6. A tightening of the lower eyelid or eyebrow 
7. Certain changes in gesture (based on the baseline) 

Don't take everything for granted though, some people are well trained and won't show everything. They lie very often and have had the time to perfect their lies and their techniques. You can use these tips to catch a liar, but be careful not to convict someone who is innocent. Be sure about the lie!

Now, I know this wasn't much to go on, so check in later this week and I'll show you some more tips and tricks on how to catch a liar!

Source: Paul Ekman, Telling Lies