How To Tell If Someone Is Lying To You (And What To Do About It)

Sometimes you find yourself in relationships, social or romantic, with liars. You might say something like, “I can’t put my finger on it, but something is off about this person, explanation, or story.”

Then you begin to analyze the situation. You begin to question yourself, but before you know it, you are questioning the other person. You question their motives, relationship to you, and even their loyalty. Now, you feel a sense of resentment. What do you do when someone—your best friend, significant other, or even your kid—is lying to you? How do you know they’re lying?  What do you do about it?

You can usually tell when someone is lying by certain things they do with their facial expressions, tone of voice, or body language. These can be great indicators of whether someone is deceiving you or not. Here are some great predictors of fib-telling:

• Being Vague: If holes seem to be appearing in a story, there is a chance they are lying.
• Overthinking: If the individual is thinking a little too hard about the next set of details in the story, it might be because they are making them up as they go.
• Failing to provide the specifics: If you ask a question about a particular part of the story and they cannot clarify what they mean, 9 times out of 10, they’re lying.
• Repeating the question before answering: Have you heard the saying, “If you can ‘huh,’ then you can hear?” (They might need an extra few seconds to make up an answer.)
• Eye contact: Poor eye contact can definitely be an indicator.
• Body Movements: When people are constantly playing with their hair or giving you that pretend “thinking face” by pressing their fingers to their lips constantly… body language might be a big clue as well!

The ones that care about you will be real with you, and the ones who aren’t real with you, well, maybe that is a sign that they don’t deserve a spot in your life. That might be the only truth you need.

Quick Review:   (1.)  When it comes to recognizing a liar, it is important to trust your instincts, watch their body language, and pay attention to their wordplay. Then if you are still not satisfied, challenge their story. Ask questions!  (2.) What do you do about it? The answer is simple really- “Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.” Bottom Line: Is honesty something you value? Is trust a make or break for you? You deserve to have the truth!