How do you decide if someone is lying to you or not?

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   Austinstarposted 7 years ago

   How do you decide if someone is lying to you or not?
   
   What is your criteria for determining truth from fiction? Do you do research? Do you just accept opinions as facts? Do you know the difference between an opinion and a fact? What is a fact that you accept? What do some people say is a fact when it really isn't? If you know someone is lying to you, what do you do about it? What do some people say is a lie when it is really the truth? Why do you believe some people even when most people agree that they are lying? Please do not go off topic, no hate speech, no name-calling, etcetera, etcetera...
   
   

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2. 85

   tamarawilhiteposted 7 years ago

   When they are so emotionally invested in the narrative it is proof they are trying to convince themselves and you of the narrative, which is fiction.

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   1. 83

      Austinstarposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Examples, please?

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   2. 85

      tamarawilhiteposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      The one in four rape statistic about college when no one would pay 10K a year for such a risk. That questioning a narrative is deemed assault, invoking thou shalt not question religious levels of emotion in debates.

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3. 78

   dashingscorpioposted 7 years ago

   Ultimately it comes down to whether or not the information they are providing has any real value to me. Am I depending on these "facts"?
   If not it really doesn't matter if I believe them or not.
   The beautiful thing about facts is you can easily research them before acting on information you were told.
   I'm not one who feels the need to go through an ego exercise to prove someone is lying. I simply make a "mental note" to not trust them.
   Maybe the person talking doesn't know the difference between an opinion and fact. They tell you what {they believe to be true} which allows them to look you straight in the eye and speak with conviction.
   A hypnotized person can pass a lie detector test based upon their beliefs. Some people discard the truth because it's not (what they want to hear).
   Perception is reality.

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4. 62

   LoisRyan13903posted 7 years ago

   The first type is from personal experience.  If a person constantly they will say they will do something but fail to carry through, that will send a warning sign to a person not to believe them, even though he does eventually does something that he intends to do.
   
   Other times it might be instinct.  I remember one time there was a guy who I think was trying to get me to feel sorry for him.  Told me he had cancer and some other things.  I got the feeling that he was lying and basically kept my thoughts to myself, mainly because maybe he wasn't.  Down the line he dropped out of college and a few people who knew him mentioned how he lied all the times about things. 
   
   Sometimes you may know a person closely and know more about the person than other people and know he is telling the truth.
   
   Sometimes it is pure speculation-like somebody giving opinions about Prince's death-that is where I look on the Internet to confirm such claims-not that the Internet is 100% accurate

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   1. 62

      LoisRyan13903posted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Plus if a person changes the story all the time, that's a warning sign.  Some people are compulsive liars and that is something they may not be able to help.

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5. 82

   peachpurpleposted 7 years ago

   you can see his facial expression and his behavior, if he fidget more than usual, he is lying

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   1. 67

      ptosisposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Unless a very practiced liar

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6. 67

   ptosisposted 7 years ago

   
   
   Because the need to speak the truth instinctively, there is a cognitive dissonance that betrays the person's discomfort with telling a lie. Of course, this wouldn't work with a practiced liar who is very comfortable in telling lies. -  http://hubpages.com/relationships/BTLS
   
   Cognitive dissonance doesn't happen under forced compliance because without freedom of choice then the person has no other choice and is absolved and OK with it.
   
   Which is why torture for answers never works - ever.

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   1. 83

      Austinstarposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      I truly worry about people that advocate torture. There is something very very wrong with them.

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