Body language expert shares three tips that ‘immediately’ tell you if someone is lying
A body language expert has shared three things which ‘immediately’ suggest that someone is lying to you.
Ever tried really hard to get away with a white lie, only to find that the other person just doesn't believe you? Or have you ever been convinced that someone isn't being completely honest but can't put your finger on why?
That my friend, is the power of body language.
Outside of verbal communication, our bodies are another way in which humans communicate with one and other.
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We may not mean to do it, we may not even realise we're doing it, but our body language and the manner in which we speak give a way a lot more than we think.
So what do you need to look out for when it comes to catching someone in their lie?
During an YouTube interview on the Diary of a CEO podcast, body language expert and author, Vanessa Van Edwards, shared the three giveaways which you can look out for in day-to-day life.
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Question inflection
The first tell mentioned by Van Edwards is less to do with body language and more to do with how you say things.
A giveaway for lying is mistakenly using the question inflection, which is where our tone of voice rises towards the end of a sentence - as though we're asking a question or for someone's permission.
Recalling an experiment conducted in her lab where people played the game of two truths and a lie, Van Edwards explained that most people would 'ask' their lie statement instead of telling it.
"We noticed people asked the lie because they were asking 'do you believe this'," she added.
"Highly competent people do not mistakenly use the question inflection, they actually go down at the end of their sentences."
Incongruences in speech and body language
When it comes to non-verbal tells, the biggest is 'incongruences' in your speech and body language.
"The biggest and most obvious one is when someone says yes but shakes their head no, or says no but shakes their head yes," Van Edwards said.
"When we agree with someone, say yes or are telling the truth, we typically agree with ourselves and shake our heads yes."
Mismatched facial expressions
The final tell which Van Edwards says people should be on the lookout for is mismatched facial expressions, with disgust being the most obvious example.
"Disgust is an expression people make without even realising it," she said. "When we don't like something or we smell something bad, we crinkle our nose up and flash the upper white of our teeth.
"You'll notice liars typically feel dirty when they lie. So often times they'll show disgust with themselves for lying."
Of course, this doesn't mean that an expert liar won't be able to train themselves out of doing these things, but it's certainly something interesting to look out for in our day-to-day interactions.
Topics: Lifestyle
Brenna Cooper