9 Tricks to Find Out If Someone Is Telling the Truth

Around 60% of people can’t go 10 minutes without lying. That’s a whole lot of lies. Still, there are a few things we can do to see if someone’s lying or not, like look at their smile, for example. If it looks forced, they could very well be lying.

We at Bright Side have gathered a few tricks to help you find out who’s lying and who’s not.

1. Ask them to tell you the story again, but in reverse.

Usually, when people lie, they already have a made-up story ready to go in chronological order. If they have to tell it in reverse, they’ll feel stressed because it’s not what they practiced. This means that lying will become a much more difficult task. They’ll start to leave out details, and cracks will open in the story as they become more nervous.

A true story will be much easier to tell, and when you do it backward, you might even remember details you couldn’t recall the first time around.

2. Use the element of surprise.

If you think there’s a chance a person is lying, throw a random question in the middle of their story. Ask them something really specific if you can. This way, they will have to expand their lie so much that they actually trap themselves.

3. Check to see if their story is vague.

A liar might leave out important details simply because they have no idea of how to include them in the lie. Pay attention to how vague the story really is. It might be on purpose to prevent you from asking specific questions they don’t have the answers to.

4. Look out for fake smiles.

When lying, there’s a higher chance the person will press their lips together. This will make their smile look fake. If you know the person already, spotting a fake smile might be easier. But here’s a tip: When people smile, they usually do it with their whole face, not just the lips.

5. Ask them the same question in different ways.

A liar will often just answer with the same details but will say them differently. When you ask a question in, say, 3 different ways, it’ll force the person to give more info about the story that they’re telling. If they’re lying, they’ll get stuck using the same words, phrases, and even details.

6. Try to pay attention to any voice changes.

One thing that also changes when someone lies is the tone of their voice and the speed at which they speak. If you notice they’re speaking faster or even slower, chances are they’re trying to keep up with the lies they’re telling you. The same goes for how high or low their voices go. All of this shows uncertainty.

7. Check if there’s a delay in their answers.

If you ask a question that’s relatively easy to answer, yet the person is taking their time to get back to you, it probably means they’re either thinking about what to say or trying to keep up with their own lies. If they jump the gun, it’s not a good sign either. This can mean they had an answer ready for you on the tip of their tongue.

8. Check if there’s a change in their confidence.

Chances are, if the person who’s lying feels in charge of the conversation, they will look very confident in your eyes. However, if you start catching them in their own lies, they’ll start losing control, and that confidence will also vanish. They’ll begin to close themselves up more and more.

9. As a last resort, call them out on their lies.

If you think nothing else is working, provide them with the facts you already know and call them out on their own lies. If someone keeps blatantly lying, like by adding too many details that you think are suspicious, you can try and call them out. But be careful and use the right facts, otherwise, you might be called a liar yourself.

These are just tips you can use to try and spot liers, but it’s not an exact science, so be mindful when using them. Have you ever used any of these hacks to catch someone in a lie? Did it work? Do you have any of your own tips you can share?