How To Detect a Lie

Are you getting the whole truth and nothing but? The answer may be lying right in front of you.

To complete this How-To you will need:

A good ear
Good eyes
A healthy skepticism

Step 1: Watch their hands

Watch the suspected liar's hands. Body language studies show that people tend to touch their face and scratch their nose when they lie.

Step 2: Follow their eyes

Follow their eyes. Liars tend to blink a lot and don't maintain eye contact.

Step 3: Note their words

Note their words. A liar will skip contractions—saying "I did not" instead of "I didn't"—and avoid pronouns, using someone's full name instead of "he" or "she."

Step 4: Check their smile

Check their smile. People who are telling the truth use many facial muscles, but liars smile with just their mouth.

Step 5: Note their posture

Notice their posture. Liars tend to keep their body posture closed (by folding their arms, for example). They may also unconsciously put an object between you, like a cup of coffee.

Step 6: Pause before responding

Pause momentarily before responding; if the silence makes them uncomfortable, they may be lying.

Step 7: Note the details

Pay attention to details. If they provide more information than necessary, that's a bad sign. People tend to be overly specific when they're making something up.

Step 8: Change the subject

Change the subject. If they seem relieved, that's probably a red flag that they've been lying straight to your face!

Step 9: Teach your liar a lesson

What you do from here is up to you. It may be smart to file your knowledge away for future use. However, if you're noticing a trend, it might just be time to teach your liar a lesson.