In both life and business people don’t always tell us the truth. There can be many reasons for this; perhaps they want to save face or protect our feelings. Perhaps they want to outsmart us or avoid negative consequences?

When we’re in the driver seat (i.e. say as a parent, or manager) we can usually ask a few probing questions that clarify a situation. But, what if we are not in this position?

What can we do when we are culturally obliged to accept an input on face value and it just doesn’t ring true? Perhaps you’re in a job interview, or your boss is providing you important news? Maybe a customer is providing you feedback?

Well, if you can read people you’re at an advantage. However, if you are naturally trusting and can’t make the read, you could be easily victimized.

So, how do you read the signs that you’re not getting the truth?

Most of us instinctively know how to recognize body language that betrays a liar. It’s in the facial expressions (eyes, nose, mouth and brow) and body movement (hands, posture and stance). We’ll review this, below.

The biggest problem is our proficiency. Despite the huge exposure we receive to facial expressions and body language we observe each day, we mostly only scratch the surface in using what is presented.

We’ll recognize when someone’s happy, sad or troubled and we instinctively confirm appropriate facial and other body-language signs. So, to learn more precisely what’s going on, we need only practice and enhance our existing skills of observation.

Learning to listen by improving our observation of expressions is an interesting skill, indeed. Almost anyone can develop themselves this way and enhance their understanding of others, while growing personal awareness.

So what are the physical giveaways when someone’s not telling the truth? The signs are firstly in the face. They may be both fleeting and barely noticeable, but they are usually readily discernible:

• From the Mouth

Deceitful words are often hidden in throat clearing or feigned coughs. Many variations of hands or fingers on or near the mouth suggest a desire to cover words and hide deception. Fake smiles are often used to deceive; real smiles involve the entire face, eyes, brow, etc. Fake smiles arrive and depart quickly, regardless of how long they’re held.

• In the Eyes

Darting glances and poor eye contact are often tells, but bold liars can sometimes even stare directly into your eyes. Vigorous rubbing or even gentle touching below the eye is indication of deception as are muscular twitches and changes in the size of pupils.

• On the Nose

Oddly, when we lie we release chemicals that swell nose tissue and cause an itch. If someone touches, pulls or rubs their nose, chances are there’s a lie progress. President Bill Clinton’s nose-touching displays during the interview regarding the Monica Lewinsky affair are notorious.

• Absent in the Face

Slight sweating is a sign of pressure. However, someone offering a poker-face, with little or no emotion may often be hiding something more. If there is tension in the jaw and forehead, and/or eyes are narrowed, then potential giveaways are being actively suppressed.

• Upon the Brow

The brow and eyebrows should match the overall expression upon the face. A true smile should raise eyebrows in the center and furrow the brow. Inconsistencies in expressions and tension in the brow are signs of stress and often more.

 

And, secondly there are signs in the body:

• In the Stance

Often movement might seem more controlled but more frequent crossing of legs, twitching and foot shuffles are giveaways. The lower body provides strong indications of deception, as does the avoidance of bodily contact.

• Within Posture

Crossed arms and legs present a closed posture, often signifying something (emotion, facts, etc.) are being withheld.

• With the Hands

During deception hand movements are often suppressed and their motion restricted; this is even truer for men. However, women tend to increase hand movement in this situation. When presented, a palms-up motion is often a major indication of untruth.

And, of course, fiddling with or touching the nose, ears, or neck areas are often signs that something is not right.

 

It’s easier to read these signs in someone you know, as norms of expression and movement are already well-established.

Sometimes these tells (as listed above) can be checked by innocuous conversational questions being asked so simple norms can be checked/re-established. Then following this, a more pressured inquiry can be made to recheck a particular response. Lots of tricks, maneuvers and expertise have been developed to both use and detect these behaviors. Indeed, a well-practiced liar might have a better-than-average (never total) control of the involuntary responses listed above.

Do you have a real and personal need for improving your awareness and observation of these behaviors? Perhaps your skills and sensitivity should be improved a little?

When you catch someone telling you a whopper it’s generally important that you know this to be the case. I’d hope that most people wouldn’t routinely need such awareness, but if you do, develop your skill carefully. After all, you don’t want to overanalyze everything and simply feed your own paranoia! And, at the same time, can you afford to be as unaware as you might now be?

Ian R. Mackintosh is the author of Empower Your Inner Manager Twitter @ianrmackintosh