How to tell by facial expression that a person is lying. The psychology of lying, or how to recognize a lie by gestures and facial expressions

How to recognize a person’s lies and not become a victim of a liar? Yes, it's not easy, but it's possible. The facial expressions and gestures of the interlocutor can easily reveal him as a deceiver.

Lies have long become an integral part of human life. Everyone resorts to this method, but each for their own personal reasons: to save relationships, to humiliate the interlocutor, to achieve some goal. The article will not talk about the causes of deception, but about its signs. It will help you figure out how to recognize the lie of your interlocutor by facial expressions and gestures.

We identify the deceiver

All people lie - this is a fact, a harsh truth of life that should be accepted. In pursuit of their goals, those around them either hide the truth (at best) or deceive each other (at worst). How to recognize a lie and spot a liar?

In this harsh world, it is very difficult to figure out who is telling you the truth and who is lying. But there are psychological clues that will help expose it.

A person usually does not notice how he behaves during a dialogue. However, according to psychologists, gestures and facial expressions are a subconscious demonstration of true feelings. You just need to learn to recognize them. And then it will not be difficult to expose the liar.

How to recognize a lie by a person's facial expressions

Psychologists say that people who lie try their best to pass off the deception as the truth. Their efforts are accompanied by certain gestures, intonation of speech, and involuntary body movements.

But all people are different, and they also deceive in different ways, in which case how to recognize a lie? Psychology has identified several types of deception and a whole range of signs of a liar.

Here are some of them:

If the sides of a person's face act differently. For example, the interlocutor squints his left eye a little, one eyebrow is raised, and the corner of his mouth is lowered. It is asymmetry that indicates a lie.
A person rubs his lower or upper lip, coughs, and covers his mouth with his hand.
The color of his face has changed, his eyelids twitch, and his blinking frequency increases. This happens because lying tires a person, he subconsciously suffers from it.
The interlocutor continuously looks into the eyes, as if he is checking whether they believe him or not.

Asymmetry as a sign of deception

When a person tells a lie, he becomes tense. And despite the fact that he tries his best to hide it, he does not always succeed. The deceiver temporarily loses self-control. His tension becomes noticeable; you just need to observe the left side of his body. It is this side that is an indicator of deception, because our right hemisphere of the brain is responsible for emotions and imagination, and the left for speech and intelligence, therefore, the left side is controlled a little less. And what we want to show to other people is reflected on the right side, and true feelings and emotions will be visible on the left.

How to recognize a lie by gestures

Almost every person in everyday life pretends and tries on various masks. Some people are more sincere, while others are used to lying regularly. But you shouldn’t think that no one will ever discover a lie. It is her nonverbal body language that gives her away.

In addition, there are people who intuitively feel when they are being deceived. But, of course, not everyone is given such a gift. How can you guess what a person really thinks? And how to recognize a lie and spot a liar?

The book “Body Language” was dedicated to this topic. How to read others' thoughts by their gestures" Pease Allan.

Here are the typical types of body movements that indicate that a person is lying:

Rubbing gestures. Psychologists say that rubbing the neck and pulling the collar completely gives away the deceiver.
During a conversation, a person cannot find a comfortable position; he constantly strives to lean away, step back, tilt his head, or mark time.
The speed of speech of the interlocutor changes, some begin to speak more slowly, while others, on the contrary, speak faster than under normal circumstances. In addition, the intonation and volume of the voice changes. This suggests that the person feels “out of place.”
The interlocutor touches his face. This gesture is typical for children who have cheated and immediately cover their mouth with their hand. But not all touches to the face indicate deceit. For example, when coughing, yawning, sneezing, we also touch it.
Too vivid emotions on the face, which indicates artificiality, pretense and unnaturalness.

How to avoid making mistakes in your conclusions?

In order to avoid making mistakes in human behavior and making incorrect conclusions, you should study body language. It is necessary to know what body movements a person makes when he experiences fear, self-doubt, boredom, and so on.

You should not draw conclusions based only on the above gestures until the behavior of the person as a whole has been studied.

Excessive pickiness towards an interlocutor towards whom one feels antipathy is often very subjective. And therefore, all his gestures will be interpreted negatively.

In addition, it is easier to analyze the behavior of a person you know, because if something has changed in his demeanor, it will immediately catch your eye. But sometimes there are such skillful deceivers, with high self-control, that it is very, very difficult to figure them out.

What is written with a pen...

Scientists have conducted a number of studies of non-verbal language of communication and concluded that most often people lie on the phone, then, according to statistics, face-to-face conversations follow, but least of all they lie in writing. And this is also connected with the psychological characteristics of a person, because what is written is very difficult to later refute with the words: “I didn’t say that,” “I didn’t mean that,” and so on. It’s not for nothing that there is a popular saying: “What is written with a pen cannot be cut down with an ax.”

Main signs of deception

Psychology has identified 30 main signs by which one can accurately say that a person is lying:

If you ask him the question “Did you do this?” and he answers - “no”, most likely it’s true. But, if the answer is vague or of the following type: “How could you think this?”, “Do you think that I can do this?” - such options indicate a lie.
If you laugh it off from a direct question.
If he always emphasizes his “honesty”, saying the phrases: “I give my hand to be cut off”, “Have I ever lied to you?”, “I swear to you” and so on.
If he looks into the eyes very rarely and only to make sure that they believe him.
If he clearly strives to evoke sympathy and sympathy, that is, he often utters phrases like: “I have a family,” “I understand you,” “I have so many worries,” and so on.
If he answers a question with a question. For example, they ask him: “Did you do this?”, and he asks a counter question: “Why are you asking?”
If he refuses to answer at all, he pretends to be offended and doesn’t talk to you.
If he has “inhibited” emotions. When a person is told some news, he reacts instantly. But the liar knew in advance about what happened, and he does not have time to play up plausible emotions.
If emotions are artificial, they often last more than 5 seconds. In real life, natural human reactions change very quickly, and if someone is pretending, then his emotion will be somewhat prolonged.
If a person often coughs or swallows during a conversation. All liars have a very dry throat and take a noticeable sip.
If the interlocutor has one side of his face different from the other, most likely his emotion is unnatural. In a normal person, facial expressions are always symmetrical.
If the interlocutor repeats out loud a question or phrase asked to him.
If the speed of speech, its volume or intonation has changed. For example, at first he spoke normally, and then suddenly slowed down.
If the interlocutor answers rudely.
If a person is very laconic in his answers, he clearly restrains himself so as not to say anything unnecessary.
If the interlocutor waits a few seconds before answering, most likely he is going to lie, but wants to do it as believably as possible.
If a person has “shifty eyes”.
If he often asks for clarification on a question, this is an attempt to buy time and think about the answer.
If you ask a person about one thing, and he answers about something else.
If the interlocutor does not give detailed explanations and avoids details in every possible way.
If a person answered questions and then lost the desire to talk, this means that he was tired of lying.
The favorite way of liars in any uncomfortable situation is to change the topic of conversation.
Liars will do their best to obstruct any attempt by their interlocutor to get to the bottom of the truth.
If a person tells the truth, he subconsciously moves closer to his interlocutor; if he is lying, then, on the contrary, he moves away, moves away.
If the interlocutor tries to inflict a direct insult, it means that he is in a very nervous state due to lies.
If a person moves from foot to foot.
If you cover your forehead, neck, face with your palm.
Constantly scratches his earlobe or nose during a conversation.
A characteristic trembling or stuttering appears in the voice.
If a slight smile appears on your face, which has 2 reasons:

Masking real emotions;
A way to relieve nervous tension.

Of course, one of these signs is not enough to accuse a person of lying; it is necessary to find at least more than 5 pieces of evidence.

When they lie to you...

If a person is being deceived, at this time his face also changes, and this feature may be noticeable and should be taken into account when communicating with a liar.

Additional information on how to learn to recognize a lie can be obtained by watching a documentary that will tell you how to spot a liar and get to the bottom of the truth:

Each of us wants to be able to distinguish truth from lies. After all, very often we become victims of deception and this is very offensive, especially unpleasant when close and dear people do it. How to recognize the lies of a man who is a husband, fiancé, boyfriend or close friend? But their betrayal or deception is very difficult to identify and even more difficult to survive.

Be that as it may, as the popular proverb says. It is better to know the truth than to live in deception all your life. Each of us has a choice. A lie can be recognized, and, most importantly, you need to do it.

"Everybody lies!" - the main phrase in the series "Doctor House". Paradoxical as it may seem, these words are perhaps the most truthful in the world. And if so, no one can learn how to recognize a lie.

Statistics: 80% of people resort to deception at least once a day. Some people don't even notice it - they lie automatically.

Often lies are harmless, and sometimes useful. For example, when doctors tell hopelessly ill patients that there is a chance of recovery, or the narrator embellishes his story to make more impressions on the listener. But in many cases, deception is committed for personal gain, and if you do not want to become the object of a lie, it is better to become familiar with its characteristic signs.

How does a lie manifest itself externally?

Imagine that you decide to deceive someone. That is, you have certain information, but you deliberately convey it to your interlocutor in a distorted form or even replace it with other data. In this case, everything happens spontaneously. You need to spend energy not giving away the truth and controlling the flow of deception so that no one catches you. Concentrating on this, it is difficult to control the movements of facial muscles and gestures.

These external signs appear due to an internal feeling of anxiety that you may be discovered, as well as due to the way our brain works. Next we will understand everything in more detail.

How to recognize a lie by external signs

To get started, we recommend that you read the material on lying on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab). Pay special attention to types of deception.

Face

You can tell by the expression on a person's face what emotion he is experiencing. But if you try, it is also possible to detect a lie by looking at your face.

In our case, special attention must be paid eyes. Deceivers often look away because... It is psychologically difficult to lie to a person while looking him in the eye. When communicating, it is important to pay attention to which direction your eyes are directed - it is quite possible that your interlocutor is trying to remember something.

Subconsciously, a liar may “close himself” from you. An example of this is covering the mouth (trying to “hide” words), touching the nose or ears. By the way, such people are constantly trying to occupy their hands: fiddling with clothes, removing specks, or twirling something in their hands (a spinner, for example :)).

A change in complexion can also be a sign that a person is insincere. The deceiver may blush or turn pale.

Speech and voice

Watching a face and immediately recognizing a lie is a difficult task and requires some experience. Therefore, you can start by listening to what your interlocutor says and how he does it.

A common sign of deception is an answer that repeats words from the question. Example: “Did you break the plate?” - “I didn’t break your plate!”

It’s worth thinking about it if you don’t hear straight answers from a potential liar. In response to the same question about the plate, you may hear something like: “How could I break it?” The answer may contain unnecessary details with gradual distraction from the subject of the question. Experienced liars practice “talking” their interlocutor, taking the topic of conversation in a different direction.

Broadcasting lies is in some way a small test for a person. And due to excitement at these moments, the timbre of his voice may change. This also includes problems with speech construction. Pronunciation, slips of the tongue, syntax - all this should raise suspicions.

Behavior

Sometimes the deceiver automatically becomes defensive towards you and feels uncomfortable. When communicating, his attention may switch to something else.

If you want to test a liar, try changing the topic of conversation. Your interlocutor will willingly support you in this, because there will no longer be a need to waste energy on deception. If we return again to the issue that is unpleasant for him, we can observe a sharp change in the behavior of this person.

There are logical inconsistencies and confusion in the explanations of deceivers. You can catch him on this by simply asking leading questions.

Interesting fact! According to researchers, the average man lies 1,092 times a year, and the average woman lies 728 times. At the same time, men regret committing deception only in 70% of cases, while women – in 82%.

Liars like to hide the truth by turning the topic of conversation into a humorous direction. In this case, to our question: “Didn’t you break the plate?” you can get the answer: “Hah, flying or what?” Thus, we again do not receive a direct answer, and the topic of the conversation itself is ridiculed and supposedly has become less significant.

When trying to catch a deceiver, you may stumble upon a violent emotional reaction. This protection is especially typical for girls and women. Example: “Darling, weren’t you the one who accidentally spent all the money on my card?” “You’re always accusing me of something!” Do you think I’m such a spender?” The example is exaggerated, but clear: we again see a transition from the topic of the question to another direction, and besides, the one who asked the question begins to feel guilty.

Books on the psychology of lying

You can study in detail the mechanisms of lies and master the methods of detecting them by reading special books. Authors such as Alan Pease and Paul Ekman, have devoted more than a decade to this issue, releasing a number of interesting works. Among them:

“The Psychology of Lying” (Paul Ekman);
“Know a Liar by Their Facial Expression” (Paul Ekman);
“The Psychology of Emotions” (Paul Ekman);
"Body Language" (Alan Pease);
“The language of male-female relationships” (Alan Pease);
“New body language. Extended version" (Alan Pease).

Interesting video about the signs of lying:

Conclusion

Our short educational program on how to recognize a lie is over. It is clear that it is very difficult to notice all the signs at once, and their presence does not always mean that a person is insincere, because he may simply be worried about something of his own. In any case, with the help of this knowledge and your intuition, you can better protect yourself from hanging noodles on your ears.

“Body language doesn’t lie. Even if the body is already in the grave,”
Dr. Lightman, “The Theory of Lies”

In nature, no two people are the same. We are all different. We see, hear and think differently. And we also have different times. Therefore, there is no standard set of lying gestures indicating that we are telling a lie. But if he had, we would have found a way to deceive him. Deception is noticeable when it evokes emotions (excitement, fear or shame). These emotions are conveyed by the language of gestures and facial expressions. But confirmation of a lie must be sought in the totality of facial expressions, gestures and speech.

The truth is somewhere on the left

Lying requires self-control and effort. Tension can be obvious or hidden, but it is easy to notice by looking closely at the left side of the body. It is less controlled than the right one. This is because the left and right sides of the body are controlled by different hemispheres of our brain.

The left hemisphere is responsible for speech and mental activity, the right hemisphere for emotions and imagination. Since control connections intersect, the work of the left hemisphere is reflected on the right side of the body, and the right hemisphere is reflected on the left.

What we want to show to others is reflected on the right side of our body, and what we actually feel is reflected on the left.

For example, if a person is right-handed and gestures a lot with his left hand, this may mean that he is lying, especially if his right hand is used less. Any inconsistency between body parts indicates insincerity.

“The brain is so busy making up lies that the body gets out of sync.” Dr. Lightman, “The Theory of Lies”

The face, like the body, conveys two messages at once - what we want to show and what we would like to hide. Disharmony in facial expressions indicates a contradiction. Symmetry always speaks of purity of intentions. For example, if a person smiles, and the left corner of his mouth is raised less than the right, then, obviously, what he hears does not make him happy - he is feigning joy. It is also interesting that positive emotions are reflected evenly on the face, while negative ones are more noticeable on the left side.

Deception is annoying

Changes in complexion (pallor, redness, spots) and twitching of small muscles (eyelid, eyebrow) indicate stress experienced by a person and help to identify deception. Tension, which manifests itself in frequent blinking, squinting or rubbing your eyelids, is an unconscious desire to close your eyes to what is happening. With rubbing gestures, our brain tries to block a lie, doubt or unpleasant sensation.

How comfortable or uncomfortable the interlocutor is can be judged by his pupils: their narrowing indicates dissatisfaction, dilation indicates pleasure. And by his eye movements it is easy to understand whether he is going to tell the truth or lie.

If a person averts his eyes, this does not mean that he is insincere. Often the one who looks intently into the eyes, trying only to appear open, is not completely honest.

A lie on the tip of your nose

Unexpectedly, the deceiver’s own nose can give him away. By telling a lie, he unconsciously begins to move the tip of his nose and move it to the side. And people who doubt the honesty of their interlocutor may involuntarily flare their nostrils, as if saying: “I smell something unclean here”.

The nose is generally extremely sensitive to deception: it itches and even enlarges ( “Pinocchio effect”). Scientists have found that deliberate lying increases blood pressure and stimulates the body's production of catecholamine, which affects the nasal mucosa. High blood pressure affects the nerve endings in the nose, causing it to itch. Gestures that somehow involve “rubbing,” such as someone rubbing their eyes, touching their nose, and scratching their neck, indicate insincerity.

And the pens - here they are

When the interlocutor puts his hands in his pockets and closes his palms, these are gestures of lies or insincerity: he is hiding something or not saying anything. Remember children: they hide their hands in their pockets or behind their backs if they have done something wrong.

Hidden palms can be compared to a closed mouth. Experienced salespeople always look at the client’s palms when they talk about refusing a purchase. True objections are made with open palms.

And with a hand covering his mouth, a person restrains himself so as not to say anything unnecessary. Afraid of spilling the beans, he unconsciously tenses his lips or bites them. Watch your interlocutor's facial expressions: a pursed lower lip indicates a contradiction: the person is not sure of what he is saying.

“People lie freely with their mouths, but the faces they make at the same time still tell the truth,” Dr. Lightman, “The Theory of Lies”

The way he sits can also tell a story about your interlocutor. If he chooses an unnatural position and cannot sit down, this indicates that he is uncomfortable with the situation or the topic raised. Liars often bend over, cross their legs and arms, and seek outside support, leaning on some object (table, chair, briefcase). Truthful people rarely change their body position and stand straight when answering questions.

There is no honesty in “honestly”

Our speech is no less eloquent than the language of gestures and facial expressions. If you receive an evasive answer to a direct question, accompanied by the expression “to be honest,” then listen to the speech of your interlocutor. It is worth doubting his sincerity when repeating phrases like:

You just have to trust me...
Believe me, I'm telling the truth...
You know me, I am not capable of deceiving...
I am absolutely frank with you...

“You said it once - I believed it, you repeated it, and I doubted it, you said it a third time, and I realized that you were lying,” said the eastern sages.

“There are more pauses in a false story than in a truthful one,” concluded Professor Robin Lickley. An overly detailed story is also unlikely to be true - unnecessary details only create plausibility.

A change in the rhythm and timbre of the voice can also give away deception. “Some people are always slow with the next sentence. If they start chattering, it’s a sign of lying,” says Paul Ekman.

When we tell the truth, we use gestures to reinforce what is said, and the gestures match the tempo of the speech. Gestures that do not fall in time with speech indicate a contradiction between what we think and say, i.e. to lies.

If you think the other person is lying:

Adapt to him: copy his posture and gestures. By mirroring, you will establish trust and make it more difficult for the deceiver to lie.
Don't expose him and don't blame him. Pretend you didn’t hear and ask again. Give the other person a chance to tell the truth.
Ask more direct questions. Actively use facial expressions and gestures, causing him to respond.

Cornell University communications professor Jeffrey Hancock studied 30 college students for a week and found that the telephone was the most common weapon used to cheat. People lie on the phone 37% of the time. This is followed by personal conversations (27%), online messengers (21%) and emails (14%). We feel more responsible for what we write than for what we say.

Outgoing people lie more often than introverted people, and they feel more comfortable lying and persist longer in their lies. Psychologist Bella DePaulo came to the following conclusions:

Men and women lie equally often, but women usually do this to make the interlocutor feel more comfortable, and men - to present themselves in a more favorable light.

Men and women behave differently when they lie. Telling lies makes women feel less comfortable than men.

Scientists have found that a person begins to lie after his thinking reaches a certain level of development, approximately this occurs at the age of 3-4 years.

Lies have long become an integral part of every person’s life. When telling lies, people can be guided by different motives: deception can be purposeful, aimed at humiliating a person, or it can be unintentional, to save relationships between people.

In this article we will consider not so much the reasons for lying, but its signs. You will learn how to activate your internal “lie detector,” which will help you recognize by a person’s facial expressions and gestures whether he is lying or telling the truth.

The face is the mirror of the soul.
Marcus Tullius Cicero

How to recognize a lie by facial expressions?

Of course, you can use a device such as a lie detector, but this is a very expensive device, which, moreover, is quite bulky. Researchers have identified other ways to determine lies.

According to psychologists, a person who wants to deceive tries his best to pass off a lie as the truth. At the same time, lying is accompanied by certain gestures, body movements, and specific intonation.

No two people are absolutely alike. Everyone has a different worldview, everyone feels differently. People also lie in different ways. However, there is a whole set of signs according to which we can conclude that this is a liar.

Symmetry and lies

A person gets tense when he lies. And, despite the fact that he tries hard to hide it, it doesn’t always work out. In addition, the deceiver loses self-control. The tension is noticeable; you only need to observe the left side of the person's body.

You may ask - why on the left?

The right hemisphere of the brain is responsible for human emotions and imagination.
The left hemisphere is responsible for the mind and speech.

From this we conclude that the left side is controlled somewhat weaker. However, both hemispheres maintain close contact with each other. What we want to demonstrate to others will appear on the right side, our feelings will be clearly visible on the left side.

What do the emotions and facial expressions on a liar’s face say?

When a person cheats, the sides of his body are not the same. For example, your opponent actively gestures with his left hand, but his right does not move. This shows one thing: the person is telling a lie. The brain thinks up lies while the body goes out of synchronicity.
Our face displays, perhaps, even more information that a person is lying. Asymmetry indicates a lie. Deceivers rub either their lower or upper lip and may cough while covering their mouth with their hand.
Lies tend to stress a person out. When a person cheats, his complexion changes, his eyelids begin to twitch, and his blinking frequency increases. The fact is that a person has a desire to close his eyes to everything that happens. By rubbing parts of the body, the brain wants to block the untruth. A slight squint indicates dissatisfaction.
Most people believe that shifting eyes indicate that a person is deceitful. But much more often the deceiver turns out to be the one who keeps looking into the eyes.
Typically, rubbing gestures indicate dishonesty. Psychologists say that a deceiver who is worried pulls the collar of his clothes or simply rubs his neck.
A person is given away by the position in which he sits or stands during a conversation. A self-controlled person can control himself, but he can give himself away by leaning back. The deceiver cannot find a comfortable position, this indicates that this situation is unpleasant for him.
The liar is nervous and does not feel comfortable, which affects the speed of speech. Some deceivers speak more slowly than they would normally, others speed up their pace.

Video: How to find out if a person is telling the truth?

How to recognize a lie by gestures?

Every average person in ordinary life tends to pretend, put on different masks, changing his role each time. Some of us are more sincere and change only in a formal setting. And some are already accustomed to lying (and do it more regularly than they eat). However, do not think that no one will detect a lie. This fact is instantly visible in the nonverbal language of the human body.

There are people who intuitively feel that they are being deceived. But not every one of us can easily perceive the dissonance between words and gestures. How can you guess what a person really thinks? And is it possible to spot a liar?

Of course you can. And even necessary! It was to reading the language of gestures and facial expressions that he dedicated his famous book “Body Language. How to read others' thoughts by their gestures" by famous Australian writer. Being very young, he had already managed to earn his first million. Including thanks to his ability to read non-verbal language.

What basic gestures and body movements indicate that the interlocutor is telling a lie?

Step back

If your colleague, during a conversation with you, leaned back with his whole body or only his head, or perhaps began to mark time at the moment when you asked him a question, then this indicates that he does not want to answer at all. And if so, then he is quite capable of lying to you.

Touching the face

Gestures associated with touching one's face usually inform us that a person is not telling the truth. This gesture is very typical for children who, having uttered a lie, very quickly cover their mouths, sometimes crossing their fingers. Less noticeable gestures are also characteristic of adults who already have self-control; hands strongly reveal a person.

However, not all gestures associated with touching the face indicate a person’s deceit. After all, when we sneeze, yawn and cough, we also touch our face. And this fact does not mean at all that the person is lying at this time.

If the gate presses

Observant people have long noticed that liars, who are afraid that their lies will be discovered, and who tremble at possible exposure, begin to fiddle with the collar clasp, protrude the collar of their suit, or simply touch their neck in some way.

Similar actions related to the neck, as well as periodic patting on it, can also indicate that the person has forgotten to fulfill what he promised you, and is now trying to find an excuse for himself.

Exaggeration of emotions

During a conversation, the face of a mentally healthy person always expresses some emotions or feelings. A face that expresses absolutely nothing is extremely rare. A person who tells a lie, on the contrary, has a face that is too lively in showing his feelings.

The artificiality of emotions, among other things, is complemented by overly expressive gestures. The whole face plays, but it doesn’t really play. And everyone can notice such unnaturalness of the interlocutor.

At the pace

Feeling “out of place” can affect the speed of speech of the person telling the truth. Only the pace of speech slows down for some, while for others it increases sharply. In addition, the intonation of the voice may change: for example, the deceiver may speak in a higher voice or, on the contrary, in a slightly lower, coughing voice.

It is also worth paying attention to the volume of the voice at the end of the spoken phrase. The liar begins to speak too loudly, or, on the contrary, too quietly.

How can you expose a liar and avoid mistakes in your conclusions?

In order not to make a mistake, you need to study “body language” not only regarding gestures that clearly indicate that a person is lying. In addition, you need to know what body movements are typical for a person experiencing fear, boredom, self-doubt, delight, etc.

You should not draw rash conclusions based on any of the above gestures until you evaluate the person’s behavior as a whole.

It is important to note that being overly partial towards a person for whom we feel antipathy is often overly subjective. Therefore, all his gestures can be interpreted in a negative direction towards him.

Important Notes:

It is much easier to analyze a person’s behavior if you have communicated with him more than once. If something has changed in his behavior, it will be immediately noticeable, although not always. It happens that at the first glance at a person, discrepancies between body movements and words are already noticeable.
In nature, sometimes there are such skillful liars with the highest self-control that it is almost impossible to figure them out.

The spoken word was, yes and no, but the written word lives forever

During various studies of non-verbal language of communication, scientists concluded that most often people lie to each other on the phone, followed by statistically private conversations. And least of all, people lie to each other in writing. After all, what is written with a pen cannot be cut down with an axe.

TO SUM UP: 30 main signs of lying

We all want to be able to distinguish lies from truth. After all, so often we become victims of deception when we did not expect it at all. This is so offensive! Don't fall for this hook again - liars can be recognized, they give themselves away! Your weapon is knowledge.

We have collected for you in one list the 30 main signs of lying. Be sure to read them and remember, everyone needs to know them.

Important clarification:
One of these signs is not enough to accuse a person of lying. Therefore, to be sure, you must detect at least several signs at once.
And, if you see 5 or more signs listed below in a person, then this is already a serious signal that he is deceiving you.

The easiest way to test the truth of a person is to ask him a question, for example: “Did you do this?” and if he clearly answers “no,” then most likely he is telling the truth. And if he answers vaguely, “How could you think that I did this”, “Do you think that I am capable of this?” - such answer options are more likely to indicate the interlocutor is lying.
The next favorite technique of liars is to laugh the question off. You ask him an awkward question that he doesn't want to answer, so he gets off with a joke.
Liars love to emphasize their exceptional honesty: they will constantly tell you the phrases “I swear to you,” “I give my hand to be cut off,” “But it’s true, because I never deceived you!”, etc.
Eye contact. During normal communication, people maintain eye contact on average 2/3 of the entire time of communication. But when a person lies, then most likely he will look at you much less often.
The desire to instill sympathy and empathy. For example, he will say: “I have a wife and children”, “I have”, or “I am the same as you, I understand you too”...
Answering a question with a question. You ask him, but he doesn’t want to answer specifically and asks counter questions. " You did it? - Why are you asking?".
The next sign of a liar is that he may refuse to answer for no apparent reason. It would seem that the question is harmless, but he simply “stops” and refuses to talk to you.
"Inhibited" emotions. It is normal when a person is told some shocking news and reacts to it with his emotions instantly. But if the liar knew about this in advance, then, of course, he will not be able to feign emotions believably. Therefore, pay attention if his emotional reaction does not follow immediately, but with a delay of several seconds.
For example, he stole money from you and you suspect that it could be him. You say: “Can you imagine, my money was stolen!” And only after 2-3 seconds he will make an amazing grimace, because it just took time to figure out what to do. A normal person would react instantly.
The next way to distinguish fake emotions is to pay attention to their protractedness. If the emotions are artificial and feigned, then they will very often last more than five seconds. The fact is that in real life, human emotions change very quickly, but if a person pretends to be surprised, then this will drag on for quite a long time.
"Dry sip". Liars have very dry throats and take very noticeable gulps. You can even watch their Adam's apple move. Therefore, if a person often swallows and coughs during a conversation, this means that he is very worried that he will be found out.
Asymmetry of facial expressions. A normal person in a calm state always has symmetrical facial expressions. That is, if we smile, we smile equally on both sides. But when you observe that one side of a person is stronger than the other, then most likely this emotion is feigned.
Frequent repetition of the question you asked. When a person is honest, he constantly uses different word forms. But when a person is lying, he will most likely repeat your question and your phrases and words.
Changing the pace of speech. For example, he spoke normally, and then suddenly slowed down. So-called hesitations during a conversation are also considered a sign of lying.
Hostile tone. The interlocutor answers very rudely and inadequately: “I don’t have to answer you!”, “I don’t want to talk to you!”, “I won’t answer in that tone!” - this is all an attempt to avoid an uncomfortable question.
A liar restrains himself when answering questions: he is forced to control himself so as not to blurt out too much.
If your opponent always waits a few seconds to think before answering, then most likely he was just wondering how to get out of this situation and lie plausibly.
"Running" eyes- a classic sign of lying. The person seems to be exploring the entire room around him.
You are often asked to “clarify” a question. This is nothing more than the same attempt to gain time to think about further actions.
Masking the essence of the answer with a mass of information not related to the question. Roughly speaking, when you ask about “Foma,” you get a detailed answer about “Erema.”
Typically, a liar cannot give a detailed explanation and avoids giving details. And if you delve into the details, he will generally begin to get confused in them.
If at first the interlocutor answered the questions, but suddenly he lost all desire to talk, this means that he was simply tired of lying.
One of the most favorite attempts of liars is to move on to another topic.
Another sign of lying is that a liar will resist your attempt to get to the root of the problem. You will simply feel that he does not want you to get to the bottom of the truth.
How the person moves towards you. If a person is honest and does not hide anything, then on a subconscious level he will move closer and closer to you. And if your opponent is lying, understands this and is afraid of being discovered, then on the contrary, he moves away from you somewhat, thereby trying to get away from the problematic situation as quickly as possible.
Attempts to cause direct insult. This indicates a VERY nervous state.
Shifting from foot to foot will also indicate that the person is lying.
Covers your face, forehead or neck with your palm.
Scratching your nose or earlobe.
The appearance of trembling in the voice. Perhaps even the appearance of stuttering, if it was not there before.
If your interlocutor is lying, then often a slight smile appears on his face, and this smile has 2 reasons:
A way to relieve stress.
Masking true emotions.

People often and willingly spread lies on other people's ears. In some cases, liars only cause irritation and rejection, in others - deception can have serious consequences: in career, friendship, family. Not to mention that lying can pose a threat to human life. Detecting a lie is not easy, but it is possible. To do this, you need to arm yourself with the knowledge outlined below. They will help bring the deceiver to clean water.

Fact . According to research, the average citizen resorts to lying at least 3 times in a 10-minute conversation.

Signs of a lie

Any lie is psychological stress for every deceiver, no matter how skillful he may be. Like any stressful condition, lying has its own signs and manifestations - these are reflexes that are difficult to control by reason. We will introduce you to the most obvious symptoms of deception, which will help you understand that they are lying to you or trying to hide the truth.

Fact . The main motives for lying are fear, shame and desire for profit.

How to spot a lie by the eyes

1. You can tell if someone is lying to you by looking at them.

According to popular belief, a person's eyes dart from side to side when lying. However, for the most part - this is a sign of extreme anxiety or confusion, but you can worry even when a person fears that no one will believe his truth. It's another matter when the other person struggles to maintain eye contact, practically without taking his eyes off the eyes opposite. This may indicate that a person lies consciously, trying to look confident, while trying to understand whether they believe his lie or not.

2. You can tell a lie by the position of your pupils

According to the knowledge of neurolinguistics, if the interlocutor’s eyes turn to the left during speech, this indicates that he is retrieving information from his memory, that is, something. If to the right, he is engaged in the creation of images, in other words, he composes, imagines or imagines. ( For lefties, it's the other way around). It is logical to assume that when lying, the pupils will move to the right, because for this you need to resort to your imagination. Basically this is true, but there are also nuances.

Fact . Women detect lies better than men. Men lie more often than women.

Lies leave a mark on the body

1. A clear sign that a person’s thoughts are opposite to what he says is one-sided movements, that is, when one side of the body, be it a shoulder, arm or leg, is much more active than the other. Often, it is the twitching of only one shoulder that is a concomitant element of a lie.

2. If during a conversation the interlocutor takes a step back - most likely he does not believe in what he is trying to convince others of.

3. Uncertainty in one’s words and the untruthfulness of what was said is revealed by a constrained, tense position of the body. Even if a liar tries to appear relaxed and calm, his body will still be tense and in one, often uncomfortable, position.

Fact . The telephone is the most common weapon of deception. People lie on the phone 37% of the time, during personal conversations - 27%, in online messages - 21%, in emails - 14%.

Facial expressions of lies

1. Pay attention to the corners of your lips - even if your mouth is under control, it is very difficult to subjugate this part to your will. So, for example, the corners of the lips tremble or tense in those moments when a person managed to fool someone and he's glad it worked out.

2. A clear sign of untruth is a pursed lip.- this is a hint of uncertainty in one’s words or subconscious disagreement with what is being said. For example, if your request for help is answered, “I will definitely help,” then the pursed lip says, “It’s not worth counting on much.”

3. If the interlocutor’s facial expressions become asymmetrical, for example, the smile only appears on one side, this says that a person is trying to hide true emotions by replacing them with a mask. If the lips smile, while the eyes remain serious, without wrinkles forming around them, you know that he is feigning joy or good nature, hiding your true feelings and intentions.

4. It is also worth noting that real, sincere surprise lasts no more than 5 seconds. If a person is surprised longer, it means he is playing– he knew everything in advance and now strives to assure everyone that his surprise knows no bounds.

Fact . When lying, a person, as a rule, experiences 3 main feelings: remorse, fear of exposure and delight from a successful deception.

Gestures of deception

1. Touching the neck indicate that the person is either lying or is very nervous. And when the palm completely clasps the throat, this indicates that the liar is trying to restrain the words from coming out, afraid of letting it slip.

2. An eloquent gesture is finger to lips. Thus, the subconscious tries to prevent lies from coming out, as if warning: be silent, don’t say a word.

3. Rubbing or earlobes suggests that the person does not want to give himself away. In general, the more hands touch a face during a conversation, the greater the likelihood that this face belongs to an insincere person.

4. Stroking yourself with fingers speaks of a subconscious attempt by the deceiver to reassure himself and cheer himself up, fearing that they will not believe him.

5. A truthful storyteller, as a rule, does not hesitate to gesture, complementing and enhancing the effect of what was said. On the contrary, a liar has minimal gestures, or completely absent.

Fact .There is such a thing as pathological liars. These people have a strong need for deception, as well as dependence on it. What distinguishes them from ordinary liars is that they themselves begin to believe in their own lies.

Speech of the Deceiver

1. Using lies in one’s speech, a person subconsciously experiences feelings of guilt and anxiety, therefore if you change the topic of conversation, the liar will suddenly become happier and more relaxed. Although in some cases this may indicate that the previous topic was simply unpleasant for him.

2. In order to it takes time to create a plausible deception, especially if you catch the liar by surprise. To gain extra minutes, a cunning person can resort to several tricks:

pretend not to hear (“ What-what, one more time?»);
ask rhetorical questions (“ What do you mean, where did all the jam go??»);
repeat your own words (“ I know you ate all the jam” - “Did you eat all the jam? No, I didn't eat jam»);
use introductory phrases too often: (“ God knows, I didn't touch the jam jar. Tell the truth, I, to put it mildly, not a fan of sweets. In general, to be honest- I hate cherry jam");
pause in sentences longer than they should.

3. A large number of details and unnecessary details- a clear symptom of untruth. Most likely, the liar is trying to demonstrate to you that he is as pure as can be and does not intend to hide anything. That's why he posts tons of useless information.

4. If doubts creep in and you want to understand whether the story of your interlocutor is true, ask you to retell it in reverse order. If the interlocutor is not lying, this will not be difficult to do. Otherwise, he will have problems, and he will get confused: how and in what sequence the lies were laid out.

This knowledge will help you identify lies and understand in time that they are trying to deceive you.. However, finally, we would like to draw attention to one important point: none of the above signs can serve as a 100% manifestation of lies addressed to you. Especially if you do not take into account the overall picture of what is happening and without taking into account the character traits of an individual person. The mentioned signs must be perceived comprehensively and correlated with one another.. They are a reason to think and be wary, and not to brand a person as a liar.