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Quite often a person feels the need to lie about something – if you are the person being lied to, there are a few simple tips for catching the liar out. This is a list of the top 15 tips.
Tips 1 – 5
1. Physical expression will be limited and stiff, with few arm and hand movements. Hand, arm and leg movements are toward their own body as the liar tries to take up less space.
2. A person who is lying to you will avoid making eye contact.
3. Hands touching their face, throat & mouth. Touching or scratching the nose or behind their ear. Not likely to touch his chest/heart with an open hand.
4. Timing is off between emotions gestures/expressions and words. Example: Someone says, “I love it!” when receiving a gift and then smiles after making that statement, rather then at the same time the statement is made.
5. Gestures/expressions don’t match the verbal statement, such as frowning when saying “I love you.”
Tips 6 – 10
6. Expressions are limited to mouth movements when someone is faking emotions (like happy, surprised, sad, awe, ) instead of the whole face. For example; when someone smiles naturally their whole face is involved: jaw/cheek movement, eyes and forehead push down, etc.
7. A guilty person gets defensive. An innocent person will often go on the offensive.
8. A liar is uncomfortable facing his questioner/accuser and may turn his head or body away.
9. A liar might unconsciously place objects (book, coffee cup, etc.) between themselves and you.
10. A liar will use your words to make answer a question. When asked, “Did you eat the last cookie?” The liar answers, “No, I did not eat the last cookie.”
Tips 11 – 15
11. A statement with a contraction is more likely to be truthful: “ I didn’t do it” instead of “I did not do it”
12. Liars sometimes avoid “lying” by not making direct statements. They imply answers instead of denying something directly.
13. The guilty person may speak more than natural, adding unnecessary details to convince you… they are not comfortable with silence or pauses in the conversation.
14. A liar may leave out pronouns and speak in a monotonous tone. When a truthful statement is made the pronoun is emphasized as much or more than the rest of the words in a statement.
15. Words may be garbled and spoken softly, and syntax and grammar may be off. In other-words, his sentences will likely be muddled rather than emphasized.
Source: Blifaloo
November 16th, 2007 at 9:45 am
also if a person answers a question with a question. that’s a really good one!!!!
November 16th, 2007 at 10:33 am
i can use this with friends
November 16th, 2007 at 11:00 am
Great – now I’m going to be psychoanalyzing everyone I speak to!
P.S. Great list (or am I lying?)
November 16th, 2007 at 11:06 am
Derek: You better not be
November 16th, 2007 at 11:12 am
love it
November 16th, 2007 at 11:13 am
These are great and all but some people they do not work on. Asperger’s people have these as normal charcteristics. A better way is by eye movement.
From your p.o.v.
up and left=visually constructing. ask someone to imagine a pink elephant…
up and right=visually remembering. ask someone what color was the first house they lived in…
left=auditory constructing. ask someone to try and create the highest the sound of the pitch possible in thier head…
right=auditory remembering. ask someone to remember what their grandmother’s voice sounds like…
down and left=feeling. ask someone if they remember the smell of a campfire…
down and right=internal dialog=talking to yourself in your head.
generally someone who looks up and left or left are lying. Someone who looks down and right might be lying because they are debating with themselves about how the should answer. Up and right or right are usually telling the truth as they are trying to remember the actual happenings. down and left is probably telling the truth and they are recalling to the best of their knowledge.
November 16th, 2007 at 11:24 am
Sicilians are great liars. The best in the world. I’m Sicilian. My father was the world heavy-weight champion of Sicilian liars. From growing up with him I learned the pantomime. There are seventeen different things a guy can do when he lies to give himself away. A guys got seventeen pantomimes. A woman’s got twenty, but a guy’s got seventeen… but, if you know them, like you know your own face, they beat lie detectors all to hell. Now, what we got here is a little game of show and tell. You don’t wanna show me nothin’, but you’re tellin me everything.
Bonus points if you know where that came from.
November 16th, 2007 at 11:29 am
Princess bride? nah they didnt mention lie detectors in that obviously….although it does remind me of that scene fropm princess bride.
November 16th, 2007 at 11:49 am
I LOVE Princess Bride. I think I will watch that again tonight. It has been over a week since I last saw it
November 16th, 2007 at 11:49 am
Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!
Sorry, guess again
November 16th, 2007 at 11:54 am
As you wish.
November 16th, 2007 at 11:57 am
The Princess Bride was on in a cafe I was in just a few minutes ago! Haha, what a coincidence.
Anyway, really good list here. I’ll keep these in mind the next time I have to lie… =p
November 16th, 2007 at 11:58 am
True Romance is the answer
November 16th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
“Let me put it this way. Have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates? Morons.”
November 16th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Ding Ding Ding jfrater wins!
November 16th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
To be fair, these are also mannerisms that come up when a person is frustrated… I know I’ve adopted many of these, ironically enough, when someone thought I was lying and I wasn’t…
On another note, this is my first comment! I’ve been totally addicted to this site since I first found it a few months ago and I check back like five times a day… Great job!
Oh and Princess Bride = Amazing…
November 16th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
Wanna know if he’s lyin’ ? Smash your hand on the tablle and yell “Stop It!!!”
, it will break his concentration, and you will look psyhotic, and you will not lie to hannibal, would you ? 
November 16th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
i so like listverse addicts, welcome ArcticBanana!
November 16th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
There are some people who you can tell are lying by just one clue… thier lips are moving =).
November 16th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
I disagree with this though. most good liars use as much eye contact as possible without giving a death stare. they break every now and then to look down or at an object in the debate, but mostly keep the contact. I know, it works against my mom
November 16th, 2007 at 9:06 pm
These are also behaviors (translation for some of you this word means “behaviours”) that a nervous person would make. For example someone not comfortable around the other person for reasons other than lieing.
November 17th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Is that the part in true romance with James Gandolfini after beating the hell out of that chick? I havent seen that movie in ages and adly cant remember much of it.
November 17th, 2007 at 7:17 pm
Juggz – no, it’s when Christopher Walken (gangster)is talking to Dennis Hopper (ex cop / security guard)
November 17th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
“Jerry, just remember, it’s not a lie if you believe it.” – George Louis Costanza
November 17th, 2007 at 11:55 pm
No. 1 is missing and it isn’t even on the list. It’s that slight hesitation when confronted.
November 20th, 2007 at 3:30 am
Sicilians are good liars because of all that Moorish blood in them. For the same reason they have olive skin and curly hair. The same reason they don’t respect the law and are thieving, dirty crooks with no regard for decency. It’s no wonder that organized crime comprises their biggest industry. Smug bastards.
November 20th, 2007 at 3:58 am
Three Sicilian/American businessmen in my community have made me embarrassed to be part Sicilian. My grandfather didn’t act like they do. However, one of them must be basically honest, he had a really hard time lying to me.
November 30th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
wow…my friend must have never told the truth in her life lol
December 3rd, 2007 at 3:08 am
I’ve got a questions for yall, I’ve often wondered how to beat a lie detector. And the best method I theorized would work is to ask yourself a different question in your head and then answer that truthfully. E.g Cop: “Did you kill Mr Jones?” You: [Did I have eggs for breakfast this morning] “No.”
What do you think? Could work?
December 30th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
this site just reassured me that my ex was a cheater.
January 5th, 2008 at 3:29 am
Observing body language is a hobby of mine, and I concur with the items on the list, but I must agree with Ben, in that many liars look into their listeners eyes MORE than normal. It’s as if they are trying to bore right into your brain and force you to believe them.
MY mother in law is one of the worst liars I know. She lies so constantly she does it when there is no reason whatsoever to do so. And she just pierces you with her gaze while she’s doing it.
Then, if you even bother to refute her statement with a fact to the contrary, she just says “I know…that’s what I meant”. Everybody thinks she’s this sweet old lady, but I’m telling you, she makes politicians and lawyers look truthful.
I found Ravyn’s comments (#6), very interesting, I’m going to be paying attention now to that left/right thing.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:23 am
i knew my mom was lying when i asked if she stole my weed!!!
January 10th, 2008 at 3:56 am
luckyaz: haha – your mother must be a very special lady
January 10th, 2008 at 4:11 am
Theres a lot of interesting things about lying in Derren Brown’s “Tricks of the mind”. I would strongly recommend that book not only for the stuff about lying but for all the other stuff in there as well.
January 24th, 2008 at 11:16 am
The head turns and eye movement theories are bogus. I just did them all and did them all the opposite of what was printed. The way people think and their body movements and eye movements are learned, just like you always tend to eat on the same side of your mouth, try eating on the other and it is weird feeling
February 3rd, 2008 at 7:24 am
I noticed this man I worked with would tell lies all the time, like say he was head chef of Hilton in Sydney but I had to show him how to make very basic sauces, but he would blink constantly, obviously a nervous twitch, but he was shocking.
February 3rd, 2008 at 7:42 am
Thanks-you’ve just made me a far better liar! LMAO, kidding, kidding… *looks away, up at ceiling, clears throat*
February 3rd, 2008 at 7:54 am
These tips are good, however they will only work with people that are uncomfortable with lying. A person that lies to themselves, and truly believes it, will not display any of these tells. Further, a liar that is so arrogant, or stupid, that they absolutely and totally believe that they cannot be found out will not display these signs.
February 25th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
The title of this should be changed to “How to identify a highly-functional autisitc,” or even “How to spot a shy person.” Human resources officers who believe in these methods may as well use phrenology or racial stereotypes.
March 30th, 2008 at 9:47 am
It is true that people who have trouble with social interaction or people with certain psychological impairments do not always fit in with these profiles.
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:59 pm
Thanks to Robin (#40). I have 3 or 4 mental disabilities (depending upon which mental health “expert” I am talking with. When I talk I want to be clearly understood and talk differently than I think. When listening, I watch the mouth of the person with whom I am talking. Even w/ hearing aids it can be hard for me to hear all of the words the person is uttering. Miss one noun, subject or object and I have to ask “What?” Or if they have a mustache. Or turn away before finishing their statement. The tonal qualities of talking person’s voice make a huge difference. Women and children can be especially tough. I often stand with my arms across my chest — sometimes considered a closed mind. In my case it is “protective” to my psyche. Good liars often look you right in the eye while they are talking with you. Also, there can be a difference between intentionally lying and ignorance. I once heard a fellow who was born in TX but had lived most of his life here in IA say (while he was in my father’s barber chair) that you never wanted to run over a rattle snake. If you did you might run over his head and his hollow fangs would cause you to have a flat tire. He honestly believed it. I was a kid and started to get up and say something. Dad frowned, shook his head “No” and waved with his scissors for me to sit down. One can certainly put a damper on a party/conversation by insisting on relating the truth and why you know your statement is true and the other person’s is false. I was fascinated by the directional eye movement related comments. Thanx
May 27th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Tip number 16: Nose elongation
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:17 pm
i think you should make a list on how to get away with a lying… i would pay to read that one
August 4th, 2008 at 9:15 am
I am a communications major and just finished a course that focused on deception.
The truth is that there is no fool proof way to spot a liar. At best, the average person can correctly identify a lie 51% of the time.
Relying on specific observations will only lead to false positives. If someone looks away while making a statement, they could be lying, but they could also just be distracted by something in the background.
The eye direction technique is a common misconception. It is completely false. I wouldn’t rely on that one at all.
Simple instinct is the best way to detect deception. Knowledge of all the above helps too, but simple instinct is the best method.
August 10th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
what does no. 7 mean, like i need an example
August 11th, 2008 at 3:58 am
There’s a delusional whackjob woman who puts on a friendly, almost motherly personality that is totally fake, she’s a fraud and many people fall for it. She looks people in the eye and tells them made-up stories about me being antisocial so that I get snubbed, sneered at, and harrassed by people. There’s even a story about me belonging to a secret organization that makes people afraid of me. I think that in her psychotic mind she tells herself that the story is true. (she’s in her 50’s but seems to have the mentality of a teenager) People who come to my defense have got into fights, then I am known as the guy the fight was about. It’s amazing and terrible how people will trust the words of someone that they don’t really know.
August 12th, 2008 at 10:32 am
LIAR ALERT>>
Goddess, GoddessYotashi aka Yotashi
Attention! : Goddess is the original and one and only “Goddess” ! Hates when others use “Goddess” in or as part their sn! People are “always biting/copying her”!.. She was the first and only “Goddess” and everyone started using it in or as their sn when they saw her with it!
Pathological liar
Has more stories than the Empire State Building
Lies about anything and everything to get attention and glorify herself.
(Goddess is a woman of many trades.. an artist, actress, model, foot model, producer, manager, runs an empire of businesses.. and the list grows on..!)
October 10th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
If i tell you i always lie, am i lying or telling the truth?
December 12th, 2008 at 9:20 am
@ (#46): People are much more likely to believe a stranger than someone they know. Especially when the stranger is perceived to have no benefit from the lie (for instance, they aren’t trying to sell you something).
December 19th, 2008 at 10:44 am
Thanks for the information. This was helpful.
January 2nd, 2009 at 10:34 pm
In saying that there exist GOOD liars who fake it till they make it. A serial liar will lie to you as we breathe or eat etc….and we wont even suspect it remotely
January 5th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
I get annoyed every time I see the eye contact one. It’s always been the opposite for me, and in my experience with others.
January 19th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Omg thank you so much for the information it really helped me alot my girlfreind alway can tell when im lieing so i recently use this method i cheated on my girlfreind with her sister that i slept with and did the complete opplisite and she totaly bought it! Thanksz
January 21st, 2009 at 8:21 am
This is wonderful now I can seperate The Messiahs lies from his mere falsehoods.
February 14th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
I do all of those when I’m telling the truth.
May 1st, 2009 at 7:06 am
I am so Important to this old woman Fatirah Christian that posted this she is soooo jealous of me i love it:}}}}hape more i feel even more special…..
LIAR ALERT>>
Goddess, GoddessYotashi aka Yotashi
Attention! : Goddess is the original and one and only “Goddess” ! Hates when others use “Goddess” in or as part their sn! People are “always biting/copying her”!.. She was the first and only “Goddess” and everyone started using it in or as their sn when they saw her with it!
Pathological liar
Has more stories than the Empire State Building
Lies about anything and everything to get attention and glorify herself.
(Goddess is a woman of many trades.. an artist, actress, model, foot model, producer, manager, runs an empire of businesses.. and the list grows on..!)
May 13th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Hi Ms. GoddessYotashi. Well if you are genuine and you know you ain’t a liar then it shouldn’t bother you.
Anyway..yepp, but alot of people lie like a mf on the internet. Some need mental help. The wise ones can detect the real ones from the fake ones. I pity liars. They must be destroyed! lol Naw but seriously – lying is just bad ya know. and it leads to bad karma. So don’t do it. Take care.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Hi tw:}
yes I know what you are saying, it don’t bother me it makes me feel special i’m very important cause i am rising to the top!! no matter what i can’t be stopped haters are my ## 1 fans:}
check me out on my myspace listen to my music check back with ya later:}} Bless up!!!!!!!!
http://www.myspace.com/goddessyotashi
July 16th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
This only works with normal people. Pathological liars can lie without betraying themselves at all, and these signs are completely useless when dealing with professional liars. Only useful when dealing with people you know and who have a conscience.
August 18th, 2009 at 9:11 am
i play alot of poker, does anyone know how to tell if that person is bluffing or any not. i lost lot’s of money trying to come up with ideals.
August 18th, 2009 at 9:21 am
@PokeHER guy (60): i play alot of poker, does anyone know how to tell if that person is bluffing or any not.
No, there is absolutely no way to tell. Btw, I’m in a weekly game and we have an open chair. Would you like to join?
November 2nd, 2009 at 2:11 am
a few of these actually aren’t true. Try researching a little better
November 6th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
As someone mentioned earlier, those comfortable with lying are hard to spot.
The average joe.. even so, everyone deals with ‘nerves’ differently.. some might fidget, do something with their eyes. If you take expression, voice, eyes and the body language itself, that make create a bigger picture of whats really going on.
Also, the better you know someone helps, and really know someone. Because there are times when the person you think you know… is not that at all. Instinct helps. But not all of the time. Yeah, there is no sure way.. that’s why serial killers get away with it for so long. I do think though it might be hard to keep track after a while..
Btw, Suzie.
Telltale similarities:
My mom will say “I have no reason to lie, I do not fear the truth!” She says it everytime. Saying that alone implies the opposite when overused imo.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
What’s the difference between getting defensive and being offensive?