What is a sure sign that someone is lying during a conversation?

1. 84

   K9keystrokesposted 13 years ago

   What is a sure sign that someone is lying during a conversation?

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2. 0

   Emily Sparksposted 13 years ago

   One way to tell is if they cannot look you in thebeye when they are talking.  Some people can look you in the eye and still be lying, but someone who cannot is probably lying.
   Another way to tell is if they seem uncomfortable and are squirming.

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3. 60

   smzclarkposted 13 years ago

   Lack of eye contact is a big one. Smiling when lying about something that they wouldn't normally smile about is another. A lot of people tend to swallow (obviously) after a lie. Blushing. Fidgeting. Changing the subject before giving you a chance to question the matter. Telling an unecessary story to back up the lie...

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4. 60

   MPG Narrativesposted 13 years ago

   When you already know the truth and the person is trying to cover it up. This is an obvious one but body language like squirming, lack of eye contact, blushing, etc are also good signs. Lots of 'umms' in the conversation are also a give away.

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5. 94

   jpcmcposted 13 years ago

   Don't rely on just one behavior.  A collection of behaviors like lack of eye contact, incoherent statements, shift in pitch of voice, even scratching of the nose will be a good indicator of lying.

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   Aj Zarrellaposted 13 years ago

   There is no "sure way", but a skilled lie spotter can make an informed decision using the information that I provided. Personally, my favorite give away (so to speak) is when a person is looking one way but is gesturing in another (Think Bill Clinton's "I did not have sexual relations with that woman"). I hope that helps!

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   xethonxqposted 13 years ago

   Changes in the eyes or dead on eye contact...plus facial twitches or body twitches (depends on the person). I don't think it's any one thing though and each person lies in a different way....for example, my child will get "laughing eyes" and her lip twitches (almost like she's thinking oh crap I'm caught and I feel guilty and I don't know how to contain my emotions about it). We catch her every time...lol.

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8. 60

   NiaLeeposted 13 years ago

   fleeing look, scratching themselves, choice of words, all made answers, loudness...

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9. 75

   Jeff Berndtposted 13 years ago

   The only /sure/ sign that someone is lying is when they tell you something that you know is untrue.
   
   Lack of eye contact isn't a guarantee. Some cultures regard direct eye contact as rude, so people from them don't make direct eye contact in conversation. Some people have a habit of staring off into space during a conversation. They're not necessarily lying; they're just picturing what you're saying in their imaginations.
   
   Fidgeting isn't a guarantee. Some people are more fidgety than others.
   
   Tone of voice isn't a guarantee. They may be nervous about something else, and that's why they're sounding odd.
   
   The only way to know for sure (if you don't already know that what they've said is false) is to verify what you've been told later.

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10. 80

    Ms Deeposted 13 years ago

    You have some good responses here. Basically, it comes down to detecting uncomfortableness and then testing with some kind of question or discussion their responses against the true facts.

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    ScottHoughposted 13 years ago

    Hey guys, just wanted to add my two cents on this topic.
    
    Difficulty making eye contact with others is one of the hallmarks of Aspergers Syndrome and Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Eye contact makes people with these conditions very uncomfortable. People with these conditions are every bit as honest, if not more so, than the general population.
    
    The notion a person is probably lying because they won't look you in the eye is a myth.
    
    The only thing that a person not looking you in the eye reveals is that they don't like looking you in the eye.

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    Earth Angelposted 13 years ago

    GREAT question K9! I believe the only physiological sign that has been discovered so far is pupils dialating for no other apparent reason! Happy New Year! Blessings, Earth Angel!!

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13. 92

    cheryloneposted 13 years ago

    I remember hearing once that if someone looks left as they are talking to you they are 'creating' what they are saying, but if they look right, they are remembering what they are saying.

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    StephanieBCrosbyposted 13 years ago

    There are only two ways I rely on to tell when someone is lying to me. 
    
    The first is their eyes sort of flitting all over the place. While people can tend to look around or not look you in the eye, it could be just nerves, lying or not. So it is the more erratic eye movements I look for. I also saw somewhere that the direction the eyes travel is a sure sign.
    
    The second is the pace of talking. Of course people may speed up if they are excited or slow down when thinking. But like the eye movements, I rely on what is not natural for that person or the situation. I've been able to hone this ability by listening to many reasons why a paper or assignment did not get done or why someone was late.

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15. 59

    brieliseposted 13 years ago

    When there body language is saying something different than their words. For instance they are saying yes literally but shaking their head no. Or if someone is relating a story and they remember too many details. I clearly watch too much TV...
    
    But from personal experience I'd have to say squirming, trouble speaking, lack of eye contact, etc.

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    Andrea K Flemingposted 13 years ago

    Whether or not some one keeps eye contact is irrelevant unless you know the person's normal pattern of behavior. You would need to watch their body language and mannerisms when you know that they are telling the truth about some thing and when they deviate from this pattern of behavior it can be an indicator of a lie. This is not 100% of course but it usually is a good method.

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    KaattyCposted 13 years ago

    when they look away, start shaking or look like they are trying to stifle a laugh.

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18. 61

    SuperBunny88posted 13 years ago

    If you are being honest/truthful/authentic and someone begins to question you or suspect you of lying, this is usually some sort of projection that tells you they are the ones in fact lying.  I'm no psychologist, so I can't really say for sure.  But, this has never proven me wrong yet!

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    MisguidedGhost16posted 13 years ago

    I believe in eye contact. If a person is unable to look me in the eye when speaking to me, it is my first clue they may be lying. Or, if their eyes are constantly wandering. You can sense someone's uncomfortable body language in several cases as well.

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    wonderingwoolleyposted 13 years ago

    hopefully you know the person, if they are acting uncomfortable when you ask really direct questions, you might want to wonder why. A lot of people have cited eye contact, and I agree. In the US, eye contact is normal, and if the amount of eye contact suddenly changes when a certain topic comes up, there should be a level of suspicion. Furthermore, I've noticed men seem to touch their lips/mouth area more when they are lying, as some sort of  subconscious reflex to "hold the truth in" or to "hide their words" because they know they are being untruthful. Women I think tend to be more defensive and pull the "why don't you believe/trust me?" card because it shifts the roles of "good guy" and "bad guy" There isn't a really sure way of knowing if someone is lying, because if they are good at it, they won't have an "tells" however, use your intuition, if it doesn't ring true, it's probably not. Good luck!

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21. 61

    whizcreedposted 13 years ago

    I would like to answer this question by saying... that good thing about telling truth is you don't have to worry about forgetting it..

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22. 61

    travelgurrlposted 13 years ago

    cherylone I also heard the "looking to the left" is a dead giveaway. I heard that from a trial lawyer, go figure!

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    kidsnchocolateposted 13 years ago

    A good key is if they look to the left. We learned thi back in the day in a pysch class I took. Good Luck.

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    Laura Matkinposted 13 years ago

    I can ALWAYS tell if someone is lying particularly if we are close. 
    1) act like your not suspicious
    2) when they are telling you their story pay attention to the details
    3) Casually bring it up later another day or so later is best and listen to details.
    4) If details are off you know it's a lie or they act uncomfortable or suspicious they may be lying.
    
    My family can not lie to me I always catch them mainly it's the details.  Patience.

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25. 59

    Eight8Consultingposted 13 years ago

    If some one is unable to create an eye ball contact with the participants it means the information is fabricated

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26. 60

    ionee_25posted 13 years ago

    First they will quickly answer the question and then insist on changing the topic and go on with other stories for a while until the other forgets about the issue.

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27. 60

    ergenzingerposted 13 years ago

    There is some research suggesting a correlation between the direction that a person looks and the type of mental activity they are engaged in.  If they look to their right (either directly to their right or up and to the right) then there is a greater chance they are constructing something in their head (i.e., lying).  If they look to their left (either directly to their left or up and to the left) then there is a greater chance they are accessing actual memories (i.e., not lying).  However, this is not fool proof and is only one piece of evidence to use out of their overall body language.

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    DougBerryposted 13 years ago

    It depends on the person.  With one of my coworkers, the sign is that his lips are moving.  "He would climb a tree to tell a lie when he could stand on the ground to tell the truth," is the southern adage that puts it best.

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29. 82

    greatstuffposted 13 years ago

    they will be looking up to the top right..saw that on TV. It seems that's how the brain works

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30. 38

    prism3xposted 13 years ago

    lack of eye contact..especially if they keep looking up.  Shifty body language or try way too hard to convince me they are telling me the truth!

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31. 74

    Maddambutterflyposted 13 years ago

    eyes are the windows to the soul and I find that most people can't look you in the eye when they lie. I have a friend who's voice gets louder every time he lies. I have also noticed that people have a tendency to bring there hands up to their mouth for some reason.

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32. 59

    mvaivataposted 13 years ago

    As per Richard M. Restak, looking up and to the right.
    So... maybe this is true of any difficult thinking, but some people just aren't that quick on their feet when it comes to lying.

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33. 60

    ogamesposted 13 years ago

    if u know her personally then u can caught him by her face

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34. 60

    harshad2011posted 13 years ago

    hands. Your hand movement and speech do not synchronize when you lie. Of course, politicians and criminals make be exception to this rule.

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    wymyczak66posted 13 years ago

    I think it's mostly if they get fidgety and have a hard time looking you in the eye. Really just if they don't act themselves, or seem off. I've also noticed people can tend to sound defensive, as if to add more truthfulness but it just makes them look more guilty, ha

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    baygirl33posted 13 years ago

    I find that I don't depend on a person who swallows a lot as if they have a dry mouth.
    And when they have finished they change the subject right away,no elaborating.

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    YvetteParkerposted 13 years ago

    It depends on the individual. Hopefully, you have spent enough time around the person to know his/her mannerisms.
    
    Some people have mastered the skill of lying so that it is almost impossible to tell whether they are lying or being truthful. In that case, hopefully you know the truth, and if you do; stick to it, regardless of what the other person may or may not be saying or doing to convince you of otherwise.
    
    Others, when they lie, if it's not in their nature;(beginner's level) they may fidget, their eyes may become shifty, they may begin perspiring, and/or their voice may quiver.
    
    Others who are intermediate level liars may become defensive, or they may become overly sweet and kind--doing things for you that they normally would not.
    
    There is no one size fit all sure sign for everyone. Knowing the person helps to know whether they are lying or not.

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    PhoenixVposted 13 years ago

    Eye contact. Unless they are a shy person to begin with, they ought to be able to look you in the eyes. Also to a certain extent voice inflections and body language can play a part in determining if someone is being honest. But I have to keep in mind that none of these notions are written in stone. Someone could be telling the truth and could also have dust in their eye or be thinking about something else that is bothering them, thereby giving conflicting clues.

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