It’s an unbelievable statistic, but we can be lied to up to 200 times a day. Deception expert Darren Stanton, known as The Human Lie Detector, tells us how to spot a fact from a fib.
- Darren says lying is bad for your health.
- As well as these gesture or ‘tells’, there are physiological symptoms, like changes in breathing, heartbeat and temperature. Even a practised liar’s body is likely to go into palpitations.
- Regular stress causes high blood pressure, anxiety, excessive sweating and fight-or-flight mode, increasing adrenaline and building up stress.
- Teenagers and young adults lie much more frequently than the older generation
How to tell if someone is not being honest with you.
- Posture: Liars try to shield themselves. You’ll notice someone fold their arms, flick their hair, or put their hands to their face to create a barrier.
- Body Language: Look out for a jiggling leg, tapping fingers, or just looking down at their feet. When someone lies, one of their feet may turn and point in another direction – it’s their wish to escape from the situation.
- Odd Language: Think President Clinton: "I did not have sexual relations with that woman," rather than referring directly to Miss Lewinsky. Someone who is being truthful will sound more off-the-cuff, for instance Bill would have said, "I didn’t have sex with Monica."
- Pitch: Does their voice go squeaky or unnaturally deep?
- When someone starts giving unnecessary and odd information – the bank was closed, there were geese on the line – they’re usually overcompensating, and adding in false elements to make you ‘buy the lie’.
The top 10 lies we tell our partners
1) Yes, I am listening.
2) I’m not in a bad mood.
3) I only had one drink.
4) I didn’t see your text/call.
5) You don’t look fat.
6) I am sticking to my diet.
7) I did orgasm.
8) This isn’t a new outfit.
9) That looks nice.
10) I wasn’t looking at her
