How to Spot a Liar
I don’t pretend to know the surefire tricks for identifying any liar, any place, any time, but I have learned a few useful things, mostly the hard way.
I’ve been fooled more times than I care to admit– by people looking straight at me, by people looking at the floor, looking at the ceiling, looking to the left, or looking to the right. People who sweat and people who don’t. Men, women, and children. White, black, and brown. Tall, short… heck, who hasn’t fooled me one time or another?
While I’m not sure there are any whiz-bang tricks, I do know there are hallmarks of sketchiness and weather-vanes of truthfulness. Knowing these can save a lot of grief. Let’s consider a few:
1. If the speaker is giving evidence against his own interests, he’s more likely than not to be telling the truth. But beware the clever liar who will construct a decoy confession to lower your guard for the bigger lie.
2. If the speaker’s story generally “hangs together”, it’s more likely to be true, but when important details don’t square with one another, that’s often (but not always) a sign of making it up.
3. But, “too perfect” can be a sign of a confection.
4. Language which is unnecessarily complex or detail-laden calls for caution on the part of the listener. Thickets exist for a reason.
5. Sincere people are not always accurate– they may be sincerely telling you a sincerely held fantasy.
6. Careful record keepers tend to be more careful truth-tellers. But don’t assume that every purported record is genuine.
7. Corroboration is an amazing thing. How does the story square with other known evidence?
8. Watch for how the story-teller deals with challenges to inconsistencies. “I dunno, I never thought about that before” is a far better sign of a truthful person than a desperate scramble to glue everything back together.
9. Beware the dancer– the story-teller who flits from scenario to scenario until they find the one you like.
10. Visual cues such as pleading eyes, incessant and eager nodding of the head, and “trust me” gestures can be a tip that the speaker knows his story needs help.
11. Beware of your prejudicial filters. Pre-judging is no way to get at the truth.
12. Be alert to their filters. Not everybody sees the world the way you do. For example, some speakers may be culturally inclined to tell you a story they think will please you.
13. Diversionary tactics are a sure indicator that your line of questioning is hitting close to home. “Yeah, but what about Hillary?” is classic.
14. Escape hatches and conditionals are understandable, but when they outnumber the story-line, watch out.
15. Referring to oneself in the third person is a tip-off. As odd as it may sound, liars often talk about themselves as “he” or “she” instead of “I”.
16. Trust your gut, mostly. But, while your first instinct is probably right, don’t settle until your intellect and your soul agree.
17. If the storyteller has a bad reputation, redouble your vigilance, but don’t dismiss everything out of hand, nor overlook useful nuggets.
18. The more tricks that are thrown at you, the more likely that you are dealing with a con. As a lawyer might say, “Govern yourself accordingly.”
19. One of primary rules of examination is “Don’t ask a question to which you don’t know the answer.” Outside the courtroom, this is a safe rule to follow if the answer matters and you can’t be confident the speaker is reliable.
20. Unless you are very careful, you will be outgunned by the experienced and clever liar. Before you go in, do your homework, know the facts, understand their motives, their fears and their desired outcomes, and keep yourself on a short leash. Give yourself plenty of wiggle room, and never bet the farm. Make them play your game on your field, or don’t play them at all.
See missed Briefings! (https://us12.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=c5b0c09025ad045bf11bb02f5&id=b5efdf9247)