How To Become A Human Lie Detector Test?
Want to know how to tell if someone is lying? Read on and let Jason Hanson from the ABC TV show Shark Tank teach you how to become a human lie detector test: It doesn't matter who you are or what you do for a living, once you know how to detect deception it can benefit you in all areas of your life. For instance, a friend of mine owns a martial arts studio in Nevada.
A while back, she called me because she thought one of her employees was stealing from her. I shared with her the tips I'm about to share with you and she was able to quickly determine he was indeed stealing and she fired the guy. In another instance, I was able to quickly figure out that a friend's husband was cheating on her (more about how I did this in a moment.)
But before I go any further, you've got to know that nothing is set in stone when it comes to detecting lies. What I mean is, every human being is different and not everyone gives off the same signs that they're lying. So use the checklist below as a guide and if a person is showing more than one of the signs below then it's a good indication they're not being honest with you.
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To begin, let's go over one of the biggest indicators that someone is trying to deceive you. It's what I like to call “the freeze.” In short, if someone is lying they tend to move a lot less and want to retract “into their shell” because they feel guilty.
For example, let's say I was teaching a seminar and accidentally left my wallet on the table when I left the seminar to go use the restroom. And when I came back from the restroom my wallet was missing.
If I started to ask the group what happened to my wallet most people would be offering to help me look for it or they would be shaking their head that they didn't steal it. But the guilty party would most likely be the quietest person of all and wouldn't have much movement or be offering to help me find it.
They would be trying to hide among their fellow attendees and would give themselves away because they wouldn't be acting natural at all. 
Here's a real life example that happened to me on an airplane-
I was sitting in my seat when all of the sudden there was a horrible smell. Clearly, someone had passed some gas. The smell was so bad that I was looking around to see where in the world it was coming from. I noticed that almost everyone around me was looking around too. 
However, there was a fellow across the aisle from me who was frozen still. While most people were looking around, which is natural behavior in this situation, he was the only person sitting awkwardly like a statue. Obviously, he was the one where the smell was coming from.
I shared the above story with a group I was teaching when a member of the group said to me, “holy smokes, I know who stole my headphones.” Apparently, this gentleman was on an airplane when he fell asleep with his very expensive Bose headphones in his lap. When he awoke, the headphones were gone.
He asked the people in his row if they had seen them and he said the guy sitting in the aisle seat was sitting frozen and would barely speak to him or move, while the other person was acting normal and trying to help him find them. The bottom line is, if the person you think is lying all of the sudden has less movement and is less animated, then they're probably trying to retract into “their shell” because they feel guilty for what they've done.
Next on the list of detecting deception is to watch a person's feet-
You see, most people are trained to lie with their face and many people do it on a daily basis. But people aren't trained to lie with their feet, which is why a person's feet will often give them away. For instance, in airports, Customs agents are trained to watch a person's feet when they are going through the customs booth.
An honest person, like you or me, will have our feet pointing directly at the agent who is questioning us because we don't feel guilty and we have nothing to hide. But the drug smuggler will most likely have his feet pointed toward the exit because he wants to get the heck out of there because he's afraid of getting caught. 
We've all had a co-worker or relative or someone who thinks they're our friend, but who we really can't stand. When we run into this person we may say something such as “John, it's great to see you, how are the wife and kids?” But since we don't like John our feet will be pointing away from him showing that we are not being genuine in wanting to know how he is doing and we in fact want to get away from him.
So the next time you're having a conversation with someone pay attention to where their feet are pointing. To detect lies, you also want to pay attention to the eyes, but not for the reason you think. Most people believe that if you ask someone a question and they look down that means they're lying, which isn't true. Just imagine if it was your first day of a brand new job and the CEO of the company called you into his office because someone had taken some files off of his desk.
This clearly would be intimidating because you're a brand new employee and he's the CEO. There's a good chance you would look down because of the gap in authority even though you didn't take the files. So instead of worrying about if a person looks down, you need to watch if a person stares too long at you. People who are lying tend to “over stare” because they're guilty and they believe if they stare long and hard at you this will convince you they're being honest.
One time, while still working for the Agency, I was traveling overseas on a personal vacation. Even though I was traveling for personal reasons you obviously still don't say you work for the CIA when you go through Customs in a foreign country.
When I got to the Customs counter the agent started to grill me and ask a ton of questions. I told her that I worked at the museums in the Washington, DC area and did security guard work and gave people directions to help them find their way around.
As I was telling the agent this information I remember forcing myself to break the stare and look down so I didn't stare too long. So the next time you think someone is lying and they're “creepily” staring at you, remember, that's not normal behavior and they're likely trying to deceive you.
Now let's talk about how I (unfortunately) found out my friend's husband was having an affair.
I got a call from my friend one day and she told me she was looking for something in her husband's car when she found a cell phone underneath the seat. When she dialed the last number that had been called a woman answered the phone then immediately hung up.
My friend called and told me this to see what I thought and I told her the obvious thing you are thinking right now: “He's clearly having an affair” but I said it in a nicer way than that. My friend told me there was no way he was having an affair and that their marriage was wonderful.
So here's what I told her to do: Since she believed her husband wasn't having an affair I told her that when he got home that night to tell him the same story she'd told me about finding the cell phone and then to call me back with his reaction.
The next day she called me and said, “Ohh my gosh Jason, I've never seen him so mad in his life. I can't believe I accused him of having an affair, I feel so bad. He was so angry that I thought he had an affair and I didn't trust him.” Now, if you're married and are not having an affair and your wife accuses you of cheating, what are you going to do?
Well, if my wife accused me of having an affair I would make some hilarious joke (which she wouldn't find funny) and that would pretty much be it. I wouldn't get angry or fly off the handle because I'm not having an affair so there's no need for me to be angry.
You see, people who are lying tend to have an extreme overreaction. They want to “beat you down” and make you feel so bad for even questioning them that you will never do it again and they'll get away with their lie. And this is exactly what my friend's husband did. He was like a wild animal caught in the corner of a room and he fought back fiercely because he knew he was cornered.
Of course, I told my friend all of this but she still didn't believe me and was in denial that her husband was having an affair. Just a short time later she received definitive proof he was in fact cheating and she's still amazed how quickly I knew even though from what you know now it's pretty much common sense. So the next time you're questioning someone and they turn into a psychopath (which hopefully isn't their normal behavior) then you know they're lying.
Like I mentioned earlier, when it comes to lying nothing is set in stone. But using the tips above will help you determine if a good percentage of people are lying, so pay attention to “the freeze”, keep an eye on their feet, make sure they're not “over staring” and watch for an extreme overreaction.
So remember to watch for:
- The freeze
- Foot behavior
- The liar's Stare
- Extreme reaction
Want to learn more skills like these?
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- The 6 “Unbreakable Laws Of Survival” You Need To Know
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on May 9, 2014, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
Of course if Obama and company find out about this, they will probably master the art of avoiding those pitfalls. I hope they don’t -LOL
In obamas case, all you have to do is watch for an open mouth, every time he opens it he lies/
IF THIS COMMENT SECTION IS FOR THE ABOVE PRINTED ARTICLE… THE PART WHERE THE EXPERT STATING IF A PERSON GETS UPSET WHEN ACCUSED OF DOING SOMETHING WRONG, THE THE CHEATING HUSBAND STORY.. IS ABSOLUTELY FALSE.. PEOPEL OF INTEGRITY DO NOT LIKE TO BE FLASELY!! ESP ABOUT IMPORTANT ISSUES IN LIFE!!! IT’S VERY OFFENDING TO BE FALSELY ACCUSED..THATS GOES AGAINST MY GOOD CHARACTOR AS A GOOD GODLY CHRISTIAN MAN… IM HUMAN AND HAVE OVER REACTED BECAUSE I HAVE STOOD FOR TRUTH SINCE I WAS A CHILD. BUT I’M HUMAN, HAVE EMOTIONS..OVER REACTING IS WRONG.. BUT IT DOSEN’T MEAN A PERSON IS LIEING!
My Brother-in-Law, a retired Sherriff deputy would agree with you. He has stated to me that when interrogated people who have integrity and are being accused of something tend to get ticked off at the accusation against them. With that being said, I believe that what is being presented here is what I would consider “over theatrical” indignation to the accusation. It’s one thing to get ticked off, but it’s another to “Bully” your feigned innocence.
Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis
Why are your caps on, David?
My friend, this may not apply to you so if I’m incorrect please accept my apologies up front. I too am a Christian, but can’t really say it was always so. Oh, I fought the good fight, went to church and even said grace when we ate (especially when my mother was there)but deep inside I was still short of what the Lord wanted me to be and had a few Skeletens I didn’t want him to know about? Shows you how much I knew? As I grew in my beliefs (the true Christian does so for most of their life)I realized that I would have to own up to them and ask forgiveness. Even though I did so, and believed I was forgiven, I would occasionally remember something I was truly sorry for because of something I would read and feel regret. Keep in mind, had only confessed to God, not man and kept that information to myself. I believed myself to be a person of integrity for the most part but knew I might occasionally have thoughts about taking advantage of a situation. Didn’t do it, but still felt annoyance at my thought. I have found situations when I have been accused of something (for want of a better word) and felt annoyance at it, but when I thought about why, I found that I may have briefly thought about doing what I had been accused of or had done something similar in the past. I realized it was more a feeling of guilt on my part than anything else and for a moment felt I had been found out? Yeah, being a true Christian is not a Cakewalk? I’ve actually tried some of the things on my grandsons and believe it or not IT’S PRETTY DARN ACCURATE!
David Krull, you should learn to spell!
Or should I say, yoo shud lern to spull???
I really like the “feet facing you” tip…never heard that one before. I’ve heard that when someone pleads to you with their palms facing up that it’s another sign that they’re lying & trying really hard to get you to believe them.
Crap, this one is true. I unwittingly do it all the time at work. Oops
My former cheating husband would always turn away and look away when he was going to tell a real whopper. If I questioned him, I got the psychopath over-reaction.
I find the information presented both informative and entertaining. people do tend to be defensive if they are being somewhat deceptive.
I basically tell people to listen closely to what people tell them and try to remember it. If, in subsequent conversations, they are contradicting themselves over and over, you know you are dealing with a liar, and you need to take everything they say afterward with a large grain (or handful) of salt.
I have found that most honest people tend to think they must be misunderstanding the contradictions and blame themselves for either not remembering correctly what had been previously said before or not listening closely – but people need to realize there are a lot of people out there who will lie for no reason whatsoever, and the easiest way to find out who they are and avoid them or at least know how to best deal with them, is to merely pay attention to what people say to you. Especially if the person is an employer or employee, and is someone you need to deal with, be alert, pay attention, remember and compare things they tell you.
I had been very gullible and believed almost everything people told me until my second husband, which was a real awakening for me. Until then I had no idea of the number of people who will lie when the truth would do them better. There really are more of them out there than most people would imagine.
I am someone that hates being lied to and I do not lie and I get angry when someone accuses me of anything not true or lies about me .
I Work in corrections and we have a way of telling if someone is lying to us that wasn’t mentioned here, probably because it doesn’t work in normal, every day situations. We can tell if they are lying if their lips move.
That’s the same ‘tell’ of any politician.
Another way to tell if the average person is lying is to ask them to tell you a lie and watch for there tell, a subtle movement most people make when telling a lie. ex: I think XYZ is lying so I ask him to say no to my next question. I then ask is your name XYZ, when he says no I notice his right palm goes from facing him to facing me while he lied. That would be his tell, so the next time he does that he is likely lying. This way isn’t foolproof, some people may have multiple tells they switch between and others can mask there tell and/or use a false tell to redirect your attention from there true tell.
Agree with David Krull !
this is good to know. I wish you would post some more on this subject..free 😉
some of this i knew but some of it i did not know.
it is good to learn new techniques.
thanks
I really liked the article about how to tell if someone is lying. Some of that I never thought of. Thank you.
Danny Irby
I sometimes stand at an angle to people just to talk without any deception going on, because I think I will make them feel uncomfortable or that I’m being agressive. That includes friends and family. I guess I’m one with some different body language.
The getting angry because your caught isn’t always true… I recently went through this over something at work… And was told I had done and said some things I know I did not do or say… My first reaction was anger because I felt betrayed that people were believing the other person over me when everyone had worked with me and known me for a long time… Longer than the accuser… I caught myself and realized that I was making myself look guilty but had to force myself to calm down…
some very good stuff
Great article and absolutely true, A well written little reminder of lessons I have learned and don’t always think about when I should! Thanks
Someone who has been trained in the art of discipline will not get caught. This is the type of training one may get with special forces or the CIA for a deep cover spy.
Thank you for the basic lesson some of us have a hard time catching lies,this will help
Awesome information sir, will you let me to rewrite it with my language?
Good article. As someone who held a security clearance for 25 years and had to undergo polygraph exams every 4 years, I find this better than being “wired up”. I passed all my polys with flying colors until the last poly I took (8 years ago). The examiner accused me of being a terrorist. In addition to the blood pressure cuff and the breathing cuff, they had me sit on a pad that measured the tension in my butt muscles. Ludicrous. The theory is that when you lie, you tense your butt muscles. But when the polygraph examiner kept hammering me with questions, I just got tense when the question started. For crying out loud, I’m an over 50 Christian woman! I hardly fit the profile of a terrorist. Fortunately, the entire session was video taped and even though the examiner said I’d be called back for a repeat, after her supervisors reviewed the recording, I never was called in.
I like your tips on detecting lies much better and view them more accurate than the polygraph.
I too was cheated on by my ex-husband. I wish I’d known this info back then. I suspected he was cheating but didn’t want to believe it or how to prove it. He went (supposedly) to the gym until midnight every few nights. Tell your friend to sniff his underwear. My ex gave me a venereal disease he claimed just spontaneously occurred. Yeah, right.
That “wild animal” reaction when being quizzed about or even just reminded of a transgression is pretty common. As is a general hostility toward the person transgressed against.
I can’t explain it but have seen it in men, women, kids, bosses, employees, etc.
But still, maybe a person with a volatile personality would get PO’d at a false accusation.
Boy what a bunch of crap! First off if my feet are pointed away from you is because I do want to get away from someone who is being an idiot and accusing me. And the tail of farting in the plane is a joke! I worked in construction for 30 years and if 10 people were headed up in an elevator and one of them farted they would be the first person to speak up and say….who the hell crapped themselves. This way NO ONE looks at them! Your advice may work sometimes but then who becomes the judge and jury?