10 Ways To Tell When Someone Is Lying To You

All people lie sometimes. If they say they don't lie, then they have just told a lie. Studies have revealed that many people lie from 10 to 200 times every single day. Some people admit that they tell only "little white lies." Lies are lies! However, some lies are more serious than others because they can have harmful results.

Some people have a very bad habit of lying for no reason at all. They lie because they can get away with it.

Participants were asked in a body language class if they knew when people lie. One joker in the class answered, "Every time they open their mouth!" The other students laughed, but there is some truth to that.

Body language experts agree that there are signs to tell if someone is lying. It is not always by what they say or do not say. Pamela Meyer, the author of Liespotting, says there are obvious clues to tell when people are lying, no matter how good they think they are at it.

Pinocchio's nose grew longer every time he lied. Wouldn't it be interesting if that happened to people when they lied?

1. Face

When people are lying, they may touch parts of their face, which includes rubbing their nose, rubbing their eyes, or stroking their chin. Those gestures also include licking the lips and pulling on the lips or ears.

The amazing thing is that the people aren't always aware that they are making those moves in an attempt to block lies from those who are watching and listening.

2. Eyebrows

Above the eyes are eyebrows. Watch them when talking to people. If a person continues to raise his eyebrows and draw them close together, he is likely lying.

3. Eyes

People think that a person is lying if he doesn't look you directly in your eyes. That was true at one time. Because liars know that it is a telltale sign, now they make it a point to look directly at you when they are lying. Therefore, good liars have no problem keeping their eyes wide open while looking directly at you. Minimum eye contact is no longer a sign of deception. Excessive eye contact may be a sign of deception.

A person who is lying might have no problem looking directly into your eyes, but he cannot force himself not to blink repeatedly. Therefore, you can still tell if someone is lying to you by how often he blinks.

4. Mouth and Throat

Watch a person's mouth when he is speaking. If he is lying, he will lick his lips. At times, he will purse his lips. He might also put his hand up to his mouth when he is lying as a way of keeping the truth from coming out. Lance Armstrong did that often during an interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Before answering a question, a deceptive person might clear his throat or swallow deeply. That indicates that his mouth and throat are excessively dry because of his nerves.

5. Head

What might be hard for a sincere person to do, a deceptive person can nod his head in an affirmative manner when he says, "No," and turns his head from side to side at the same time he says, “Yes.” Pay attention to see if a deceptive person will do that while talking to you.

6. Hands

Excessive gestures are common habits of deceptive people. Liars tend to move their hands more than truth-tellers. Hand gestures help people release nervous energy. Also, they think they are more convincing when they use hand gestures to convey their message. At times, they may even point their finger at their listeners.

A deceptive person may also wring or rub his hands. If he is wearing a wedding band or another ring, he might move it around and around on his finger.

7. Body Language

You can tell if a person is lying by his body language. He twitches while speaking, crosses his arms or legs, and shrugs one or both shoulders when talking to you. Those movements indicate that subconsciously he is not committed to what he is saying.

8. Grooming Gestures

A deceptive person might not be totally aware of it, but grooming gestures are noticed. A man might adjust his tie, shirt cuffs, watch, or eyeglasses. A deceptive woman might move a few strands of hair from her face.

9. Voice

You don't need to be in a person's presence to know that he is lying. If you are talking to someone on the telephone, you will know that he is lying if the pitch of his voice changes. The pitch goes up and down rather than being steady. If you think someone is lying to you, pay attention to the changes in the voice.

A change in a liar's speech pattern may indicate that something is not coming off his tongue truthfully. He might talk too slow or too fast instead of in a normal pattern.

10. Keywords and Phrases

A deceptive person will pepper his speech with keywords and phrases in an attempt to prove his point. He might say, "I'm being honest," or "You won't believe this, but..." or "I'm telling you the truth" or "Trust me about this," and similar phrases.

People who are telling the truth don't need to keep telling someone they are telling the truth.