Psychology Q- how in your opinion can you tell people are lying?

[GeorgeWashingtoff]

We often read things like "liars might touch their noses" and shit. But what if they really do have an itchy nose when they talk?

Here's what I notice- giving multiple reasons and over-justifying something. It is of course possible for a decision to have multiple reasons, often there is one main reason and people who are telling the truth will just tell you that one main reason without fuss. But when someone is lying, e.g. they don't want to tell you the main reason for x or y, they will say shit like "oh it's because of this and this and this. oh and this. and also that too" and look as if they are trying hard to come with excuses and give too much detail. And half the excuses they give are poorly thought out shit.

Another reason IMO- while it's possible liars become nervous when they lie, they may also think they are being clever by deceiving (or so they think) so look for that little smirk they are unable to hide.

Any other ideas?

 

[Your Starter for 10]

When their lips are moving.

Seroously, I just assume everyone is always lying. If they happen to be talking about something I need to know and/or give a shit about, I check it out for myself.

 

[dick brain]

Unless it's obvious, I just choose to trust people until they give me a reason not to. I try to keep myself oriented towards my values and one of those values is bravery, and trust is an act of bravery -- allowing yourself to be vulnerable in spite of the risks in the interest of social cohesion or some other benefit. It's also just less work. Maybe that hobo really needs money for the bus or maybe it's a con, but anybody who's willing to lie for $2 needs it more than I do, and either way I'm just paying him to fuck off and I can choose to feel good about it. I've lived in fear and it's fucking exhausting, and usually the pain you're avoiding isn't real anyway. It's better make yourself strong enough to weather whatever instead of second guessing everything.

Also if you make yourself enough of a threat people tend not to fuck with you anyway.

 

[POWER IN MISERY]

1. overexplaining
2. sanpaku eyes
3. drug addict face
4. are they a woman?
5. are they black?
6. are they trying to ask me for money?
7. do they think i am going to drive them somewhere?

 

[The Lawgiver]

If you can't taste the colors of their words with your eyeballs how the fuck are you even supposed to know what's even real anymore?

 

[Ultrapenguin]

If you can't taste the colors of their words with your eyeballs how the fuck are you even supposed to know what's even real anymore?

If you can't taste their eyeballs how are you supposed to?

That's why whenever someone talks to me I hold open their eyelids real wide and deeply lick their peepers and that's how I know the true nature of their spirit. The eyes are the windows of the soul, and I intend to lick these windows clean.

 

[Local Farmer]

When they don’t say a racial obscenity

 

[*Grunts Softly*]

if something feels off

 

[Town Drunk]

I'm terrible at it. If I can't see a reason why they would lie I assume they are telling the truth.

 

[DankSmoker]

Unless it's obvious, I just choose to trust people until they give me a reason not to. I try to keep myself oriented towards my values and one of those values is bravery, and trust is an act of bravery -- allowing yourself to be vulnerable in spite of the risks in the interest of social cohesion or some other benefit. It's also just less work. Maybe that hobo really needs money for the bus or maybe it's a con, but anybody who's willing to lie for $2 needs it more than I do, and either way I'm just paying him to fuck off and I can choose to feel good about it. I've lived in fear and it's fucking exhausting, and usually the pain you're avoiding isn't real anyway. It's better make yourself strong enough to weather whatever instead of second guessing everything.

Also if you make yourself enough of a threat people tend not to fuck with you anyway.

Couldn't you just tell the hobo to fuck off? You're still living in fear. I dont give a shit what they spend their money on, anytime I'm giving them anything its just to get rid of loose change.

 

[The Lawgiver]

If you can't taste their eyeballs how are you supposed to?

That's why whenever someone talks to me I hold open their eyelids real wide and deeply lick their peepers and that's how I know the true nature of their spirit. The eyes are the windows of the soul, and I intend to lick these windows clean.

Tell me how the A10 eyeballs taste please.

 

[Dr. Ricearoni]

There's no dead giveaway to when a person is lying. There night be a few universal things like blinking a lot but they don't apply to everyone, some people are just really good liars. Really you should just trust your gut instincts and hope for the best.

 

[Merton J. Dingle]

I seem to recall reading some article from a few months back that a willingness to go into details about whatever they're potentially lying about reveals that they're not lying, while giving short answers and forcing you to ask many questions to get basic details is a sign that they're lying.

 

[Dr Cruel]

If it's socialists, it's because the lips on their face anus are moving.

 

[I (Don't) Have A Gun]

Liars are only consistent in that they lie. Pay attention to what people say, over a period of time you'll notice inconsistencies. The trick is to not just trust someone who hasn't yet shown themselves to be trustworthy

 

[Penis Drager 2.0]

Here's a few things you need to know:
People are incredibly shit at telling if someone is lying, even if they're prompted to look for cues.
Basically all of the cues you're told about in pop-sci rags or crime shows are bullshit. Some even have the opposite correlation than expected.

I remember reading somewhere that people are actually better at telling if someone is lying if they can't see the person they're speaking to but I can't find a source on that one so "trust me, bro" I guess.
The bottom line is that looking for some kind of "tell" is retarded. Listen to what the person is saying and use your brain to see if it adds up.

 

[Not a bee]

I wish I knew I'm a gullible sped.

 

[Daddy's Angry Juice]

IDK growing up around drug addicts and criminals, I just sort of developed a sixth sense for it.
But yeah over detailed explanations for simple shit is a dead give away, its almost like they rehearse that shit.

 

[SSj_Ness (Yiffed)]

It depends on how well you know someone, it becomes easier because each person has their own subtle tells. Generic stuff like touching your neck or whatever is not reliable.

The eyes tell you the most. Now, some people may just naturally be nervous or whatever so even that's not 100%, but I'm pretty good at reading people that way. As for specifics, it's hard to say, but it is fairly accurate. Tone & cadence would be second, but that's also more dependent on knowing someone's usual sound. Ideally you want to look for a combination of factors from body language, sound, and eyes.

I also think just gut instinct is a factor, it's not a satisfying answer but it's worth factoring in. If possible compare their replies, talk about something they have no reason or no way to lie about, then bring up the subject being lied about, see how or if they differ.

I've lived in fear and it's fucking exhausting, and usually the pain you're avoiding isn't real anyway. It's better make yourself strong enough to weather whatever instead of second guessing everything.

That's wise as fuck, honestly. People should listen to this. Of course there's merit in caution but at a certain point there's diminishing return and you feel miserable, and effect your own life, possibly others' too.

 

[Uncle Phil]

When someone speaks freely and quickly/smoothly about trivial things or things they aren't worried about, but then slows way down and speaks carefully when you get to the substance of what they might be motivated to hide, this can be a hint that they're trying to keep an untrue story straight.

People telling the truth with no pressure don't have to weave so carefully to avoid getting caught.