How to Tell When Someone is Lying to You

Lying is all to common in our society. People lie all the time about a variety of subjects ranging from what they had for dinner, to who they were with last night. It's hard to tell is someone is lying to you, especially if they are good at it but there are a few good ways to get an idea if someone is telling the truth, or feeding you a load of bull.

Eye contact is the most important factor when analyzing a person. The eyes are often called the "window to the soul" and so is the case when reading a person. When talking to a person, if they make direct eye contact with you, then chances are they are being truthful. Beware of wandering eyes however, they can prove deception. A person who constantly looks elsewhere can be perceived as lying, but the number one movement to look for is eyes moving down and to the left. This can almost be a sure sign of a person hiding something from you, or wanting to conceal information.

Another sign would be constant stuttering, or loss of words. This can mean a person is trying to improve what they say, rather then tell you the truth. Also, it can mean that they have rehearsed a story but are extremely nervous relaying it to you knowing full well it's not the truth. Also they may close their eyes often while speaking attempting to focus on their words.

Fidgeting is a good way to assess someone. If a person is lying they may become agitated and attempt to focus on something else while talking. Rolling their hands over and over one another will keep their mind focused on that task and they can relay a previously rehearsed message to you. Watch for quick erratic hand movements, or if the person picks up objects around the area that you're talking in. Commonly the person may seem more interested in the things lying on a table, like a salt or pepper shaker rather then the current conversation.

Listen to the story a person relays to you. Is it vague? Or is it detailed? A very vague story can mean that the person is unsure, or does not know all the facts involved. Also a story with too much detail can mean something was rehearsed or they have taken a lot of time to throw in an overabundance of useless information to make you actually think and believe their story. Also make sure their story matches up to actual facts.

Sweaty palms, or overabundance or perspiration can be a sign of someone trying to hide something. When the body is in stress mode, like when a person is lying and trying to make it look convincing it will try and compensate by raising the heart rate, causing side effects like a rise in blood pressure, and excess perspiration. Also a person may become red in the face due to the increase in blood pressure.

All of these tricks on how to know if someone is lying can help you out a lot in knowing if someone is being honest and truthful with you. But be warned, many times these symptoms can also just be a sign of nervousness, so be sure to have all your facts straight before being convinced of someone's guilt. A person may just be bad a public conversations, so be aware of these kinds of facts as well.