Human intuition is a powerful thing. For the days when we’re not confident enough to trust our instincts, there are some unusual techniques you can use to identify when someone’s lying to you.
6 Surprising Ways You Can Tell Someone’s Lying to You
#1. Intense staring.
Recent studies challenge the traditional understanding that people break eye contact and look to the left when they’re lying. In an attempt to avoid giving off this tell-tale body language, people are more likely to stare at you intensely when they are deceiving you.
#2. Shifty eyes.
FBI agents believe that people look away in the same direction as their writing hand when they’re lying. The right side of the brain controls imagination, so if they’re right-handed and looking to the right when you ask them a question, they might be concocting a story to avoid the truth.
#3. Covering their mouth.
Covering their mouth could signal that they’re trying to hide the truth behind a lie (and their hand). The same applies if someone starts grooming themselves or fixing their clothing; it’s the body’s way of trying to conceal the anxiety involved with lying.
#4. Statues.
When we’re in fear or danger, we go stiff as our body processes a fight or flight response. If someone’s lying, their body may become rigid as it becomes consumed with lie-induced anxiety.
#5. Coughing.
Lying causes a physical reaction. Clearing the throat with a big cough could be a sign that they’re about to spit out a lie or two.
#6. Storytime.
Are you sitting comfortably? When people are fibbing, they often give way too much information to try and conceal a lie.
