Detecting a liar can be extremely challenging, especially for someone who has difficulty trusting others. According to the Times of India, if someone is tired of constantly questioning another's honesty, there is an effective solution using 10 proven methods supported by psychologists to help identify when someone is lying, as follows:
1. **Inconsistent Details**
When a person lies, they often struggle to maintain consistency in their stories and details. With repeated questioning, they can become confused and start to give incorrect and conflicting information.
2. **Changes in Voice Pitch**
When someone is lying, their voice pitch may change due to feelings of tension or anxiety. These changes can be subtle, but they might indicate that the person is uncomfortable or trying to deceive others.
3. **Unnatural Behavior**
It's essential to watch for unnatural, unusual, or forced body language that may appear while the person is speaking, such as a stiff posture and avoiding eye contact.
4. **Microexpressions**
Microexpressions refer to brief, involuntary expressions that occur while the liar is talking when there is a discrepancy between their words and true feelings. For example, a person may say they are not upset but briefly show a small expression of sadness or anger on their face.
5. **Timing and Delays**
If a person is lying, they are likely to hesitate or delay in providing answers, as they try to fabricate a believable story based on the impressions they observe on the listener's face.
6. **Baseline Behavior**
If there are frequent interactions with someone and familiarity with their usual behavior, this can aid in revealing whether they are lying.
7. **Contradictions**
Pay attention to contradictions between words and actions or discrepancies in storytelling, as a little focus can help discern whether the person is lying or simply confused or forgetting some details or facts.
8. **Speech Errors**
One of the signs that can reveal someone is lying is their tendency to frequently pause while speaking, using fillers like "um" and "uh," repeating words, and appearing confused.
9. **Excessive Details**
Some liars may exaggerate by providing an excess of details and rambling, offering unnecessary information to make their story seem more credible.
10. **Vague Answers**
Liars often give vague and misleading answers, deliberately avoiding specific details to prevent the discovery of their deceit.