7 Ways to Spot a Liar using Mind Power
It is said that the man is by nature, trusting – and inclined to be fooled by more bewitching, innocent-looking cute faces. Still, men are also by nature intelligent: and can learn a few mind power tips to make sure they AREN’T fooled again…
1) Be Aware
Be aware of your own preconception. Pretty and killer faces are likely to fool you into thinking the person is more dependable. Con artists — and dates — that are good-looking are psychologically more likely to convince you they’re telling the truth. With respect to biology, we are more prone to symmetry in nature. Overcome this preconception. Liars don’t wear it on their faces. Be aware of your own motives, as well. Sometimes liars do well because we just want to believe what they say. “Really? I can make a million dollars at my poolside, merely because you say so?” or: “Honestly? You didn’t arrive home last night because you were rescuing a family of puppies from drowning, and it took you all that time to find them all good homes?” Come ON.
2) We Won’t Get Fooled Again…
Don’t get fooled by the stereotypes and notions. Not all liars blink, flash their eyes away from you, rub their noses, or shift uncomfortably. In reality, practiced and “master” liars DON’T. They’ll give you a fine, solid and confident look in the eye. To discover whether people are lying, pay deep attention to their mannerisms and their way of speech. Ready Set Go …Lets go! Is this a person who USUALLY rubs their nose, shifts uncomfortably, or flashes their eyes? If so, when they are lying to you, they may not actually do this. Concentrate on their DIFFERENT behavior. What you will be hunting, generally, are what psychology experts name “microsigns.” They typically occur for less than a second, but they point out “unfitting emotions.” Giveaways – very, very slight and delicate- that the person is trying to tell one thing, but actually feeling another.
3) Catching the Signal…
Research reveals that only less than 15 of almost 20,000 people studied have got a natural ability to detect these involuntary signals, and they aren’t all detectives and law enforcement officials. Look for a gesture in the middle of a positive statement, for example, or a suspiration, sigh. Although some people are naturally trained at this, with practice, this mind power technique can be easily learned.
4) Poor Plot Kills Liars
Some elements to look for in a liar include either a lack of specific detail in his story or too much detail. Give careful consideration to the circumstances. For example, often a liar has to cook up a story on the spot. But in that instance, to ferret out the lie, nonchalantly let the liar to repeat the story by making questions. The details will conflict or be discrepant. In the case of too much specifics, this will be clear, because the liar will be talking and pretending way too much.
5) “First-Person” Words
As reported by a language-analysis software based study, liars also tend to make use of less “first-person” words such as “I” or “me” in their spoken and written speech.
6) No Face-to-Face
Liars, it’s been observed, find it easier to lie on the phone, perhaps because of the depersonalization – and no face-to-face conversation.
7) Skepticism and Critical Thinking
The main thing is to keep in mind that while one does not wish to lose one’s faith in humankind, a little skepticism goes a long way.
November 28th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Great post. Helpful for ppl like me who are journos and are tasked to separate lies from truth on a daily basis. Keep on coming up with your observations wise man!
November 30th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
In using these seven, I wonder if we all can realize how much Al Gore has lied to us all on that mankind is the one that is responsible for what he claims to be a environmental crisis?
November 30th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
@fraterpheonix
Evidently you travel the world very little. If you did, you would see for yourself how so many people on this planet are overusing the limited resorces available. We humans treat mother earth like she has no limits. Intelligent life would realize that just isn’t so and would work to fix the very thing that is causing the crisis…We need to limit population growth.
November 30th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Insert salesman every time you read liar .
November 30th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
@rageagainsttherobots , Hahahaha. Thats true. But their profession made them to do that.
November 30th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
@rageagainsttherobots
Or politician…
November 30th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
@rageagainsttherobots Insert advertisements too
November 30th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Nice article. Well, if you wait long enough, the truth comes out. Some people are very good at it and the more you let them think they are fooling you, the more they let their guard down. What you do with it, well that’s an individual choice.
December 15th, 2008 at 2:17 am
Excellent content here and a nice writing style too – keep up the great work!
December 26th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Another thing that should be considered in this discussion is that shy people and asymetrical people are not necessarily liars even though by the common markers used to detect liars they would be.
February 20th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Excellent summup!
Interrogation also helps a little to spot a liar. Check a story for consistency. Liars usually get uncomfortable when asked about their story in a calm manner and try to change the topic. Also they cannot deal with details or mix things up when asked again.
It also helps to put massive pressure on them. If you wanna spot a cheater, tell him/her, that one of your best friends was around but didn’t see you. Surprise, surprise! Only Elite Cheater get out of this trap without sweating and stuttering lame excuses.
Happy cheating/lying/spotting!
March 9th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Just study some of our CEO’s, politicians, and pundits on television if you want to see the ultimate masters of lying…
March 9th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
“fraterpheonix” who refuses to accept the fact – not speculation – that carbon emissions increase the world’s temperature, and the rest of the right wing ilk that’s destroying our world would be an example of a master spinmeister/liar.
In fact, the truth is, the American culture has become the culture of liars. I think the last statistic I read was 86 percent of American lie routinely. I think this is due to the fact that we are brought up in a commercial environment in which we are lied to continuously.
March 19th, 2009 at 10:07 am
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April 16th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
“carbon emissions increase the world’s temperature” ??
How come global temperature has fallen over the past 8 years ?