Sometimes lying seems harmless, but lies can really stress us out and in some cases they can even cost us money. If we look at it on a more complex level, lying changes a person’s pattern of speech, and those who aren’t as good at lying as they think, can be easily caught in the act.
As presented in the TED-Ed video below, the reason why we lie is pretty simple, and that’s to connect to the person we think we should be and not to be the person we already are.
When a person tells a story about an imaginary experience, s/he puts some thought into it since it’s different than a real experience. In this process, the person changes the way s/he speaks without being aware of it. Here are 4 notable signs that someone is lying:
1. Minimal self-references: People who lie, often distance themselves from their deceptive statements by using a third-person.
2. Negative language: If a person lies, s/he tends to be more negative since s/he subconsciously feels guilty about lying.
3. Simple explanations: A person who lies, usually recounts events or stories in simple terms, as it’s difficult for the brain to think of a more complex lie, especially when lying on the spot.
4. Convoluted phrasing: Even though liars could get straighter to the point, they use longer and more complex sentences with irrelevant details.
The video connects these indicators with examples from our society, by analyzing the changes in the way of speaking of some public figures when they presumably lie, and when they tell the truth. Besides these verbal signs, nonverbal ones are also important when spotting a liar.
Via Life Hacker