How to understand that you are being deceived: 8 sure signs

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Change in breathing, unnecessary details, unjustified aggression - these and other signals can be used to identify a liar.

People lie. And constantly. There is evidence that 60% of us manage to lie about three times during a 10-minute conversation (and sometimes not even notice it!). Fortunately, most of the cheaters are easy to spot.

A person is lying to you if …

1. Covers the mouth and vulnerable parts of the body

The liar often covers his mouth or simply touches his lips. Such a gesture indicates a subconscious termination of communication.

Also, the deceiver instinctively covers the vulnerable parts of the body: head, neck, stomach. The reason is that lying makes him prepare for an attack.

2. Duplicates and gives too much detail

The liar hates silence, so he tries to fill every second of the conversation with unnecessary details. With the help of these fictional details, he tries to convince the interlocutor and himself of the truthfulness of the story.

It is common for the deceiver to repeat the same phrases.

So he tries to buy time to collect his thoughts.

3. Prepares to retreat

Lying makes a person subconsciously look for a way to escape. Therefore, the deceivers, if they stand, approach the door, and if they sit, they turn to the exit.

If the interlocutor suddenly stops being in a relaxed position and becomes more collected, this can also be a sign of lies. From his side, this is another way to prepare for a retreat.

4. His words and body language don't match

An obvious sign of deception is a contradiction between a person's words and the non-verbal signals they send.

A vivid example: someone tells a tragic and serious story about their life, while smiling and behaving quite lively.

5. His breathing changes

The deceiver reflexively begins to breathe heavily, as the heart rate changes due to the lie. Sometimes it is even difficult for a liar to speak, because his mouth dries up - this is another reaction of the body to a lie.

6. Atypical eye movement

This is not to say that any one direction of gaze speaks of deception. If you know the person well enough, then an unusual eye movement for him may indicate a lie.

However, there is still one universal way to calculate a liar by the eyes: if the interlocutor constantly looks at the door, it is possible that he is lying to you.

7. Becomes aggressive

The best defense is offense. That is why the deceiver is prone to sudden and unreasonable outbursts of rage.

Another aggressive signal that he subconsciously sends is a long, unblinking look.

This is how the liar tries to appear more truthful, but instead terrifies and at the same time gives himself away.

8. Nervous

Any manifestation of undue concern can signal a lie. This includes fidgeting in a chair, constantly touching your hair, and nervous movements of your arms and legs. The last point is especially indicative: if a person moves his legs a lot, then his body is preparing to escape. That is, subconsciously, he feels a threat.

Important clarification

Before incriminating someone, take a closer look at their behavior. If a person sends the above signals all the time, it is not at all necessary that you have a pathological liar in front of you. Perhaps he is simply naturally fussy or has ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

The situation may be the opposite: someone is lying to you, but does not show the described signs. This is how psychopaths can act because they don't feel guilty or anxious about cheating. Fortunately, we can calculate them too.