4 ways to catch a liar

From tense facial muscles to halting speech patterns, body language expert Carolyn Finch highlights four physical signs to look for if you think someone is lying

Finch said Bill Clinton's now famous statement in 1998 about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky is an example of this kind of overemphasis. Clinton, who later admitted to an inappropriate relationship with the White House intern, initially told the public: "I did not have sexual relations with that woman; Ms. Lewsinky."

"This [Clinton's hand gestures] is making a very sarcastic point," said Finch. "(He's saying) 'Do you hear me? Do you hear me?' It's almost a sarcastic, sharp point saying: 'OK, what's matter with you people?' This was accompanied with a lot blinking, much more than ordinarily seen with Bill Clinton."

Lack of eye contact or shifty eyes

Liars will sometimes avoid making eye contact, but these days many know that eye contact has become a well-known indicator. It is therefore not as good of a sign as it used to be, said Finch, because liars will make a concerted effort to keep your gaze so as not to arouse suspicion. However, Finch advises studying where there eyes go if, and when, they do break gaze.

Finch said she immediately recognized that Susan Smith, who was convicted of drowning her two children in 1994, was lying during a TV interview. Before Smith was charged with the crime, she told police and the media that her children were abducted and that she didn't know where they were.

"With Susan Smith, I looked at her eyes and knew. Her eyes were up to her left. She was visualizing what had happened. Then she was down to the right. That's when I knew she knew exactly where her children were."

Tags social engineering

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