Never be lied

CLUE 1

The Language of the Eyes

No or little direct eye contact is a classic sign of deception. 

A person who is lying to you will do everything to avoid 

making eye contact. Unconsciously he feels you will be able 

to see through him—via his eyes. And feeling guilty, he 

doesn't want to face you. Instead he will glance down or his 

eyes may dart from side to side. Conversely, when we tell 

the truth or we're offended by a false accusation, we tend 

to give our full focus and have fixed concentration. We lock 

eyes with our accuser as if to say "You're not getting away 

until we get to the bottom of this."

CLUE 2

The Body Never Lies 

Lacking Animation

The hands and arms are excellent indicators of deceit because they are used to gesture with and are more easily visible than our feet and legs. But hands, arms, legs, and feet 

can all give us information if we're watching carefully. 

When someone is lying or keeping something in, he tends to 

be less expressive with his hands or arms. He may keep them 

on his lap if he's sitting, or at his side if he's standing; he 

may stuff his hands in his pockets or clench them. Fingers 

may be folded into the hands; full extension of the fingers is 

usually a gesture of openness. 

Have you ever noticed that when you're passionate about 

what you're saying, your hands and arms wave all about, 

emphasizing your point and conveying your enthusiasm? 

And have you ever realized that when you don't believe in 

what you're saying, your body language echoes these feelings and becomes inexpressive?

Additionally, if you ask someone a question and her 

hands clench or go palm down, this is a sign of defensiveness 

and withdrawal. If she is genuinely confused at the accusations or the line of questioning, her hands turn palm-up 

as if to say "Give me more information; I do not understand" or "I have nothing to hide."

Keeping Something In

When a person sits with his legs and arms close to his body, 

perhaps crossed but not outstretched, he is evincing the 

thought I'm keeping something in. His arms and legs may 

be crossed because he feels he must defend himself. When 

we feel comfortable and confident we tend to stretch out— 

claim our space, as it were. When we feel less secure, we 

take up less physical space and fold our arms and legs into 

our body, into what is almost a foetal position.

Displaying Artificial Movements

Arm movements and gestures seem stiff and almost mechanical. This behaviour can be readily observed by 

watching unpolished actors and politicians. They try to use 

gestures to convince us that they're impassioned about their 

beliefs, but there's no fluidity to their movements. The 

movements are contrived, not natural.

CLUE 3

The Unconscious Cover-up

If her hand goes straight to her face while she is responding 

to a question or when she is making a statement, this is often 

an indication of deceit. Her hand may cover her mouth 

while she is speaking; indicating that she really doesn't believe what she is saying to be true; it acts as a screen, an 

unconscious attempt to hide her words.

When she is listening she covers or touches her face as an 

unconscious manifestation of the thought / really don % want 

to be listening to this. Touching the nose is also considered 

to be a sign of deception, as well as scratching behind or on 

the side of the ear or rubbing the eyes.

This should not be confused with the posture associated 

with deep thought, which usually conveys concentration 

and attention. 

CLUE 4

The Partial Shrug

The shrugging of one's shoulders is a gesture that usually indicates ignorance or indifference: "I don't know" or "I don't 

care." If a person makes this gesture he or she usually means 

to communicate that very message. However, if this gesture 

is fleeting—if you catch only a glimpse of it—it's a sign of 

something else. This person is trying to demonstrate that she 

is casual and relaxed about her answer, when in fact she really isn't. Because what she feels isn't a true emotion, she 

doesn't really shrug.

This situation is similar to that of someone who is embarrassed by a joke but wants to pretend that she thinks it's 

funny. What you see is a "lips only" smile, not a big grin 

encompassing her entire face.

SUMMARY

•  The person will make little or no eye contact.

•  Physical expression will be limited, with few 

arm and hand movements. What arm and hand 

movements are present will seem stiff, and 

mechanical. Hands, arms, and legs pull in toward 

the body; the individual takes up less space.

•  His hand(s) may go up to his face or throat. But 

contact with his body is limited to these areas. He 

is also unlikely to touch his chest with an open 

hand gesture.

•  If he is trying to appear casual and relaxed 

about his answer, he may shrug a little