7 keys to detect if someone is lying to you

It is complicated but not impossible to realize when someone is trying to deceive us.

Even if it's hard to admit, we've all lied at some time or another. In fact, we lie more than we think we do, we lie more than we think we do. At least that's what research data published in "Liespotting: Proven Techniques to Detect Deception," a book by author Pamela Meyer, seems to indicate.

The researchers in that study conclude that human beings tell lies between 10 and 200 times a dayWe tend to omit parts of the truth or exaggerate things when we talk to other people. In other words, we tend to say things that are socially acceptable. If we believe that what we have to say is not well received by the other party, we add one fallacy or another to the conversation.

Lying is common when we meet someone new.

However, the results of research on lying provide more data. In fact, we tend to lie more when we have just met a person, we are more likely to lie when we have just met a person.. "We tell two or three lies during the first 10 minutes of the first conversation with someone we've just met," says Robert Feldman, a professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts and author of the book The liar in your life.

But despite telling a lot of lies, when it comes to detecting them when someone tells them to us, we're not very good at it.. According to a study by Brigham Young University in the United States, when someone lies to us, we only notice it 54% to 56% of the time.

How to catch a liar

Spotting a liar is trickyand it can be a challenge to know if someone is lying to you. Even detecting that there may be something odd in someone's words, when you are not clear whether they are being honest or not, hundreds of thoughts run through your mind. There is always that doubt or possibility that you are wrong in your suspicions.

Fortunately, thanks to people who have been concerned about investigating this phenomenon, today we know that there are some factors that can give away those people who lie; a knowledge that is very useful especially in Forensic Psychology. These keys to detect lies are the following:

1. Non-verbal language

Obviously, we must pay attention to the context before we can say whether the person is lying or not, although there are a number of nonverbal cues that may indicate that a person is lying. Therefore, if you are suspicious of what someone is saying to you, you can pay more attention to gestures rather than words..

Liars tend to keep their hands hidden. That is, they clasp their hands together, hold them behind their backs or put them in their pockets. They also find it difficult to sit up straight and have a rather tense posture. Some experts also say that covering the mouth or scratching the nose could indicate that the person is hiding something, as it is a way of not revealing microexpressions. a way of not revealing microexpressions.

The gaze seems to be key to detecting lies because if the liar has to think about something, they may move their eyes slightly up or to the left (right-handed) or right (left-handed). If you look directly into their eyes they tend to avoid eye contact..

2. Breathing

Breathing may indicate that a person is lying. The way they breathe is usually faster and the mouth is usually dryThe person is in a rather tense situation, and wants to avoid being caught at all costs. This can lead to constant swallowing. In reality, this occurs because your Heart beats faster and your lungs require more air than in a crying situation.

3. How he speaks

Since the person lies and his breathing is affected, the way he speaks is also different.. Experts say that he either speaks faster or speaks slower than normal. Also, when a person tells a lie, his voice may become higher pitched, as the tension causes the vocal cords to be strained. If you put the liar on the spot, he or she is more likely to stutter.

4. What you say

When we lie, we feel more vulnerable and uncomfortable (unless we are psychopaths), and even if the person is an experienced liar, he will not want to be caught. This makes them try to change the subject quickly to prevent the lie from getting out of hand. In addition, it is less likely that the liar will use the words "I" and "mine" in an attempt to distance himself psychologically from his false stories.

5. Connection between what he says and what he does

Rather than looking at behaviors separately, it is more important to make an overall assessment of the situation as a whole. When a person is honest, what he says and what he does are synchronized and form a coherent whole. Not only that, but they also synchronize with the situation.

If you know the person who is lying, it may be easier to detect his or her fallacy, as experts believe that you can notice if there is a change from his or her usual behavior and if there is little coherence between what is said and what is done (as The Simpsons series hilariously showed us). Also, when someone simulates an emotion, it can only be seen around the mouth. For example, for the emotion of joy, only move the mouth, instead of moving the jaw, forehead and eyes.

6. Sweat

Lying causes even experienced liars to notice some degree of stress or pressure. Y when we lie, even if it's a very minor lie, we sweat more.. This happens because sweating is a natural response to stress. Thus, sweating is quite common when telling a lie and a sign to detect a liar.

7. Defensive

Liars smile less because they are in a tense situation, but if you put them to the test, they usually become extremely defensive. become extremely defensive. If you ask them a question, they may avoid it or even refuse to answer, and if you do get them to answer, they will answer with "Why do you want to know that?" or "That's not important right now". This will happen because they are probably on the ropes.

How to detect a liar on WhatsApp

If face to face it is already complicated to detect a liar, it is even worse when the person is talking to you via WhatsApp. In this situation, you can't observe his non-verbal language, listen to his tone of voice, know if he is sweating... and you can't know if what he says and does are congruent.

Now, a research seems to have found the key to detect liars in a conversation by this application.

• If you want to know more about this topic, you can read our article, "How can I know if I'm being lied to by WhatsApp?"