Lay the groundwork by starting with phase one. Then
choose one of the eleven attack sequences from phase two.
If you haven't gotten a full confession after you try an attack
sequence, fire your silver bullets one by one. The results will
be truly astonishing.
If terms like arsenal, weapons, and bullets seem warlike,
it's understandable. But they're thoroughly appropriate
considering the situation. A lie can be very injurious. Protecting yourself is the objective.You need to see the process
of detecting deceit for what it really is—a verbal battle. And
from now on, when you enter this battle, you will be very
well armed.
PHASE 1
THREE ATTACK-SEQUENCE PRIMERS
Most of us are familiar with the Rorschach test, developed
in 1921 by Hermann Rorschach. The test consists of ten
bilaterally symmetrical inkblots,each on an individual card.
These abstract shapes, which have no particular meaning
or form, are shown one at a time to the subject. Put simply,
the theory behind the test is that a person's interpretation
of the shapes will reveal his or her unconscious or sublimated thoughts.
For the sequence primers, weuse the same psychological
principles but employ them in a whole new way: you find
out what's on a person's mind by giving him a verbal abstract test. A person's true intentions will surface in his comments and/or gestures.
PRIMER 1
Don't Accuse—Allude
Asking a person outright, "Have you been cheating on me? "
will put him on the defensive. The objective here is to ask
a question that does not accuse the person of anything but
alludes to the person's possible behaviour.
If he doesn't realize you're implying anything, then he's
probably not guilty. But if he gets defensive, then he knows
what you're getting at. The only way he could know is if he
is guilty of the accusation. The point is, an innocent person
shouldn't have a clue about what you're alluding to.
You don't want the question tobe accusatory or too
broad. For example, if you suspect someone of murder, you
wouldn't say, "Kill anyone last weekend?" And asking,
"How was your day?" is clearly too broad.
You want the question to be framed in such a way that
he will get suspicious of your asking only if he is guilty. He
won't react unusually if he isn't, but as if it were an out-of -the-ordinary question. If you asked your neighbour
whether space aliens had landed on her front lawn, you
wouldn't expect her to respond seriously at all. She may
answer jokingly or just laugh it off entirely. And you
certainly wouldn't expect, "Why do you ask? Did someone
say something to you?" This response is curious for a
question that should be taken as absurd.
When you ask the question, be matter-of-fact. Don't
square off. You don't want him defensive unless he has a
reason to be. Beware of all the clues to deceit, particularly
the one about a guilty person continuing to add more information as he thinks of it and without your prompting.
Now, whatever is on the person's mind will reveal itself
in the conversation that ensues.If he's innocent of what you
suspect him of, then he'll answer casually and leave it at
that. However, if he's guilty he will want to know what
you're thinking because he's not sure why you're asking the
question. So he'll question you about your question.
Examples of Phrasing Perimeters
The key is to phrase a question that sounds perfectly innocent to an innocent person, but like an accusation to the
guilty.
SUSPICION: YOU think that your employee was fired from his
last job because he stole from his previous employer.
QUESTION: "DO you still keep in contact with your old
boss?"
SUSPICION: YOU feel that your boyfriend or girlfriend was
unfaithful the night before.
QUESTION: "Anything interesting happen last night?"
SUSPICION: YOU think a co-worker told your secretary
that you have a crush on her.
QUESTION: "Heard any good gossip recently?"
Any answers such as "Why do you ask?" or "Where did
you hear that?" indicate concern on the person's part. He
should not be seeking information from you if he does not
think that your question is leading. He should also not be
interested in why you're asking the question unless he thinks
that you may know what he doesn't want you to.
PRIMER 2
Similar Scenario
This primer works by introducing a scenario similar to what
you suspect is going on. There are two ways to do this—
specific and general. This primer deals with specifics, while
Primer 3 takes the general approach. This works well because you're able to bring upthe topic without being accusatory.
SUSPICION: YOU suspect one of your salespeople has lied to
a customer in order to make the sale.
QUESTION: "Jim, I'm wondering if you could help me with
something. It's come to my attention that someone in the
sales department has been misrepresenting our products
to customers. How do you think we can clear this up?"
If he's innocent of the charges he's likely to offer his advice and be pleased that you sought out his opinion. If he's
guilty he'll seem uncomfortableand will assure you that he
would never do anything like that. Either way, this opens
the door to probe further.
SUSPICION: A hospital administrator suspects that a doctor
was drinking while on duty.
QUESTION: "Dr. Marcus, I'd like to get your advice on something. A colleague of mine at another hospital has a problem with one of her doctors. She feels he may be drinking
while on call. Do you have any suggestions on how she
can approach the doctor about this problem?"
Again, if he's guilty he'll seem very uncomfortable. If he's
not drinking on duty, then he will be pleased that you sought
his advice and offer it.
PR I M ER 3
It's Amazing, Isn't It?
With this primer, you still bring up the subject, but in a
general way. Casually broaching the subject in this manner
provides great insight into the person's innocence or guilt.
SUSPICION: You think a student has cheated on her exam.
QUESTION: "Isn't it amazing how someone can cheat on a
test and not realize that I was standing behind her the
entire time?"
SUSPICION: YOU suspect a co-worker of bad-mouthing you to
your boss.
QUESTION: "It's amazing all the backstabbing that goes on
around here, isn't it? And these people doing it think that
it won't get back to the person involved."
SUSPICION: YOU think that your girlfriend may be twotiming you.
QUESTION: "It's amazing how someone can be unfaithful
and expect not to get caught."
Again, any answers that prompt a response such as "Why
do you ask?" Or "Where did you hear that?" show that
your question concerns him.
Sometimes there's no need to confront someone who we
feel has lied. We just want to know for ourselves. In instances like these, it's not necessary to finish the attack sequence. Just use the primers to satisfy your own curiosity,
or use the techniques in Part 3,which allow you to discreetly
gather information
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