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Medical Video: 10 Simple Ways to Tell If Someone Is Lying to You
Maybe you know the TV series Lie To Me, about a seasoned professor who can distinguish between true honest people and those who hide things, just by glancing at changes in facial expressions, whether it's from wrinkles on the forehead or smile.
Of course detecting lies is not as fast and easy as on TV, especially for ordinary people. However, faking emotions is something that is very difficult. Maybe this is due to inner conflict, the body wants to say one thing, while the heart and subconscious mind try to force the body to say the other.
The characteristics of people who lie
There are some basic instructions for knowing when someone is lying to you, both from the facial expressions and movements of his body, but not all of these characteristics apply to everyone.
If you ask a question to your interlocutor, and he answers while showing the gestures he did not show before talking to you, you can be sure that he might lie. What are the indicators of the facial expressions of people who are lying?
1. The eye does not stop moving
Busy eyeballs pacing around, blinking more often than usual (in normal situations, a person usually blinks 5-6 times per minute or once per 10-12 seconds), or closes his eyes more than one second at a time is three signs classic eyes of people who lie. This is a physiological stress reaction that he feels uncomfortable with, or does not want to answer your question.
Blinking can also be a sign that he is deliberately trying to control the movements of his eyes. For example, a poker player might seem to blink a little so he doesn't seem to be affected by the results of his card shake. But remember, this eye movement can also appear on your interlocutor for a completely different reason. For example, people with Parkinson's disease will have a slower rate of blinking than healthy people, while those who have schizophrenia tend to blink faster.
2. The direction of the eye is always right
When you ask the other person about something he witnessed, heard, or tried to dig up his memory, if the person concentrates his gaze to the left, it is highly likely he is telling the truth. He really was accessing his memory of the incident. When lying, someone will tend to glance to the right. That is, he is accessing his imagination to create an answer.
But, left-handed people will usually show opposite reactions as a spontaneous response. In addition, some people will stare straight ahead when trying to remember visual memory.
3. The smile is made up
You might think that smile can easily disguise your true feelings, but a cursory expression on a liar's face will divulge what he really thinks - no matter whether he is aware or not. When someone smiles sincerely, the skin around their eyes will cluster and wrinkle. A fake smile is only in the mouth.
Besides that, notice the cynical smile humbling with one corner of the lips that curves upwards. Among liars, this slanted smile may indicate pride that they have managed to hide something you don't know: sarcasm and cynicism.
But, a slanted smile might also mean that the person is feeling really happy or optimistic.
4. The face is red, sweating, biting the lips, taking a deep breath
You may be able to see someone lying through a red tinge that suddenly appears on his cheek, because anxiety can cause people to blush, and sweat droplets that may appear on the forehead, cheeks, or back of his neck. The person may try to wipe the sweat repeatedly.
A face that is red, sighed, and sweats is a forced reflex caused by the sympathetic nervous system (this activates your fight-or-flight response) and is a response to the release of adrenaline.
5. Anxious body movements
Certain chemical reactions are believed to cause people's faces to itch when they lie. Therefore, generally people who are lying will tend to touch their faces more often. But it will be more important to examine the overall attitude of a person, not just from one sign, because there is no one characteristic that can absolutely show someone is lying.
Crossing your arms in front of your chest can show a defensive attitude, protect yourself. Crossing your legs away from you may indicate dislike or discomfort with your presence - present yourself as small as possible in front of you. Liars also often hide their hands behind their backs to cover the fingers that can show anxiety.
The characteristics above are not an absolute sign
The movements mentioned above can also show nervousness, frustration, or closed people who only want to be alone in their personal zone. If you are just busy watching your body movements and facial expressions, you will not even pay attention to what they say, and even forget to take into account the credibility factor. Remember, some people can act nervous — especially when interrogated by the police — even if they say the truth.
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