5 Signs to tell if someone is lying to you

In the science behind a ‘game face’, even the smallest of expressions can give you away
Any gambler knows the importance of a good ‘game face’. Giving away that you’re lying, or that your hand isn’t as good as you’re pretending, is a surefire way to lose the game — and probably most of your money. But lying convincingly isn’t always easy, especially when there are so many subconscious “tells” that can give you away. This isn’t just a gambling issue. Many people admit that they frequently tell “white lies” to acquaintances, colleagues and even their own partners.

A recent survey of 2,000 adults revealed that the top four lies people tell their partners are: ‘I am listening’, ‘I’m not in a bad mood’, ‘I only had one drink’, and ‘I didn’t see your text’. With the average person expected to hear between 10 and 200 lies per day, how can you tell when someone is being untruthful? To answer this question, body language expert Robert Phipps teamed up with Grosvenor Casinos to identify five tell-tale signs to watch out for:


1 MICRO-EXPRESSIONS

Micro-expressions are one of the best indicators that someone is lying, as they happen subconsciously and so we have no way to stop them. They last for less than 1/4 of a second before we have time to adopt the expression that we want people to see.

2 EYE MOVEMENTS

The eyes are a good place to look when trying to work out if someone’s telling the truth. Most people will look up to their left when recalling visual memories — if you’re asking a question about something they’ve seen, and their eyes don’t go up to the left, they may be telling fibs.

3 HAND MOVEMENTS

When lying, someone’s hand movements will often become more animated, but out of sync with what they’re saying. As their brain tries to work the story out, their hands flutter as they attempt to fill the gaps.

4 BLINK RATE

Blink rate either increases or decreases when someone is lying. An experienced liar will often stare straight at you while lying, whereas someone who is uncomfortable with lying will often have a sudden increase in their blinking rate.

5 LEG AND FEET MOVEMENT

Leg and feet movements will often increase as the liar tries to release the negative energy and stress of telling a lie. Crossing and uncrossing their legs, raising their heels up off the ground, and wrapping one foot round the ankle of the other leg are all good signs they are feeling uncomfortable.