5 Ways to spot a liar

If you claim that you never lie, well, you’re a liar. If someone claims that he never lies, well, he is a liar too. But you might be shocked to learn that more than 80 percent of lies go undetected. While people will always get away with lying, most lies are pretty easy to spot if you know how to read the signs. Here are 5 ways to spot a liar and to determine if someone is telling the truth or not.

Here are 5 Ways to spot a liar

1.Listen more than you speak.

I personally love using this technique! I use it every time I want to spot someone lying to me. Usually, liars tend to speak more than truthful people in an attempt to sound legitimate and win over their audience. They will also use more complex sentences to hide the truth. For example, since most liars are stressed while telling a lie, they would speak faster and talk louder.

2. Ask for the story backward.

Truthful people tend to add details and remember more facts as they repeat their story. Liars, on the other hand, memorize their stories and try to keep them the same. (If they add details, they often don’t add up.) If you suspect someone is being deceptive, ask the person to recall events backward rather than forward in time.

For example, start at the end of a story and ask them to explain what happened right before that point. And then, before that… and so on.

For truthful people, this makes recall easier. Liars often simplify the story to avoid contradicting themselves.

3. Beware of too many compliments.

Don’t get me wrong, there are genuinely nice people in the world. But watch out if someone is trying too hard to make a good impression.

Agreeing with all of your opinions, constantly offering praise, and laughing at all of your jokes are signs that one lacks authenticity and sincerity.

4. Watch for when they stop talking about themselves.

People who are lying will also sometimes start removing themselves from their story, and start directing the focus on other people. You will hear fewer me’s and I’s as liars try to psychologically distance themselves from the lie that they’re weaving.

5. Watch for changes in behavior.

A subtle change in a person’s deportment can be a strong sign of lying.

Be careful if a person:

_ exhibits lapses in memory at critical times (despite being alert in earlier conversation);

_ answers questions with very short answers, refusing to provide details;

_ begins speaking more formally (this is a sign the person is getting stressed);

_ uses extreme superlatives or exaggerated responses (everything is “awesome” or “brilliant” instead of good).