#FunFactFriday – Do you know How to Tell if Someone is Lying?

Recently, we started watching “Lie to Me” on Netflix.  I never really thought about facial expressions and how we communicate our emotions by these expressions.  If you think your kids might be lying to you about something, watch their facial expressions- you’ll learn more from that then their words!

So, what are the tell-tale signs that someone is lying?  It’s not in WHAT they say, but HOW they say it with their facial expressions.

• Eyes darting back and forth: People’s eyes usually dart back and forth when they feel uncomfortable
• Hiding the mouth or eyes:  A deceptive person will often hide her mouth or eyes when she’s being untruthful. There is a natural tendency to want to cover over a lie, so if a person’s hand goes in front of her mouth while she’s responding to a question, that’s significant.

via GIPHY

•  Looking up to the right: When you ask a normal, right-handed person about something he’s supposed to have seen, if he looks upward and to his left, he’s truly accessing his memory of the incident.  However, if he looks upward and to his right, he’s accessing his imagination, and he’s inventing an answer.
• Bunched skin beneath and wrinkles beside the eyes:  A false smile doesn’t effect the eyes and it’s just done with the mouth. When people genuinely smile, the skin around their eyes bunch and wrinkle.
• Head shaking: Often when people tell the truth they will nod their heads simultaneously in agreement with what they’re saying. But if they shake their heads in disagreement with what they’ve said, their bodies are betraying their lie.

via GIPHY

• Blushing: Blushing is an involuntary reflex caused by sympathetic nervous system (this activates your fight-or-flight response) and is a response to the release of adrenaline.
• Grooming Gestures: When responding to a question, a deceptive man might adjust his tie or shirt cuffs, or maybe his glasses. An untruthful woman might move a few strands of hair behind her ear, or straighten her skirt.

What other signs have you seen that make you believe someone is lying?  Let us know in the comments below.