Itching and fidgeting: Rocking the body back and forth, cocking the head to the side or shuffling the feet can also be signs of deception, says Glass, who completed a post-doctoral fellowship at UCLA focusing on Psychology and Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication.
Making sweeping statements: "I would never" or "I always." Using non-specific language, generalized phrases and sweeping statements are common tactics for liars, who are trying to avoid giving hard facts and information.
Sweating or dryness: Autonomic nervous system changes can trigger liars to sweat in the T-area of the face (upper lip, forehead, chin and around the mouth) or have dryness in the mouth and eyes — the person might excessively blink or squint, lick or bite their lips or swallow hard, according to Glass.
A good liar has a backup plan that often manifests as an excuse. This excuse more often than not involves blaming all or part of the situation or fib on someone else. It is easier for liars to remove attention from themselves when they can distract people with a scapegoat for their actions or misgivings.
Body language red flags are verbal or nonverbal signals that show an incongruence where we should dig deeper. They don't always mean that someone is guilty or showing a negative emotion; however, they may be good indicators in some cases.
Pay attention to what they are saying. Phrases like “honestly,” “I want to be honest with you,” or “here's the truth” can all be signs that the liar is trying too hard to convince the other person that they are telling the truth. Using buffer words such as “like” and “um” can indicate lying.
Someone who's lying or hiding something might hold their hand in front of their mouth while talking to you. Others might scratch their head or stroke their cheek when they're thinking about how to respond to a question. Also, when it comes to hand and arm movements, size matters.
For example, are they using “bigger” words than they usually do? They might say “utilize” instead of “use” or something similar. Overall, if their wording sounds suspiciously scripted, it could be one of the signs someone is lying in text.
The direction of their eyes: A 2012 study published in Plos One debunked the myth people look to the left when lying. A study by the University of Michigan found when participants lied, they maintained eye contact 70% of the time.
Many psychologists believe that when a person looks up to their right they are likely to be telling a lie. Glancing up to the left, on the other hand, is said to indicate honesty.
When we engage in deceit, our respiratory and heart rates increase, we start to sweat, our mouth goes dry, and our voice can shake. Some of these physiological effects form the basis of the classic lie-detector (polygraph) test. People vary in their ability to tell a lie due, in part, to differences in the brain.
Fear microexpressions: Microexpressions are brief, involuntary facial expressions that give away a person's true emotions. Liars are often afraid of being caught, so they may express fear through small movements, like raising their eyebrows or wrinkling their forehead.
If they feel that someone closes in on their lies and raises questions, liars tend to get angry and defensive. Even if no one is outright accusing them, they have an overblown reaction due to their fear of being caught. It also acts as a distraction and helps take the spotlight off their lies.
Among the behaviors that indicate negative body language are: poor stance, avoiding eye contact, creating barriers, being clumsy with objects, inappropriate spacing, sweating, frowning, and overusing gestures.
Negative body language can be damaging for professional and personal relationships as its use can indicate defensive feelings, lack of interest in the other person, or dishonesty.
Eye contact (flirting triangle: eye-eye-mouth; eye-eye-mouth) Genuine smile (wrinkles in corner of eyes) Standing tall; unhurried walk, easy strides. Sitting positions.
A narcissistic liar is a person who lies to get what they want. They are often charming and persuasive. But their primary goal is always self-promotion. They want to present themselves in a certain light and believe they can get away with it.
Why do we lie? Lying allows a person to establish perceived control over a situation by manipulating it. It's a defence mechanism that (seemingly) prevents them from being vulnerable, that is, to not open up and reveal their true self to another person.
“Someone who is overly passive or lacks judgment and experience is likely to fall prey to liars. The naïve personality type sees the world through simple lenses and believes others do the same,” Backe explains. “This means that then a lie is thrown their way, they often don't see it coming.”
Tarot card reader, Jeevika Sharna shares, “among all the Zodiac signs Aquarius, Gemini, Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are counted in the category of filthy liars. They use lies as a tool to get things done in their way. These signs don't like when someone judges them or accuses them.