Man if we could only tell if we are being lied to. Can you imagine how much safer all of our lives would be.
I was watching a television show the other day called "Lie To Me". Since I am not reviewing the show itself and only discussing the subject matter, I will not be going into who stars in the show and its specific story lines. That being said, the show is basically about a group of "investigators" (if you will) that specialize in interpreting facial expressions and body language to solve crimes. Very intriguing stuff.
In my profession I use the body language of people that I am observing to identify potential threats. People that are planning on taking some kind of action against you always have certain "tells" that give away in a physical manner what their minds are thinking. We all have these tells. When it comes to lying, courtship, professional relationships, even how we deal with our children, we can all be read like an open book for those that understand how to read it. People that have this ability have achieved it through training and life's experience itself. Police are prime examples of how training can give you this ability. Poker players as well. Ever ask yourself why it is the same faces that turn up at World Poker Championships year after year if poker is supposedly a game based on luck?
If this topic intrigues you there is a fantastic book that can give you a clear and easy to understand introduction into the world of "Non-Verbal Communication". It is called "Crime Signals". Crime Signals is written by David Givens PH.D. and published by St. Martin's Griffin. Dr. Griffin is the director of the Center for Nonverbal Studies. He is a former contractor for the Department of Defense and has given seminars on the subject to "countless" law enforcement agencies. This book is easy to read and understand. It covers everything from uncovering lies to discovering con-artists to recognizing sexual predators and pedophiles.
Awareness is one of our greatest tools. We all have the ability to watch everything around us on a daily basis, but how much of it do we actually see? I always talk about bettering ourselves so that we can better protect those that we hold near and dear to our hearts. This is one way to start today. I will be posting more about non-verbal communication in the coming weeks. If this interests you, please do not hesitate to let me know to help me decide just how much time to spend on it and how in-depth I will go.
As always, take care my friends and keep your heads up and your eyes open. ;o)
16 comments:
A very interesting subject. Definitely a must read. I wanted to read even more.
I've heard of this TV series "Lie to Me" but haven't watched it.
Many people would conceal what they truly feel and their actions speak more of it even before they utter a word. I agree that it entails training and experience to accurately perceive if someone is telling the truth or not.
Interesting book you mentioned- Crime Signals. Understanding, analyzing and interpreting non verbal communication is something needs to be studied and learned through time.
Be more in depth with this topic! Looking forward to more related posts! :D
I actually "read" people all the time. It's a must in a big city such as I live in, and I know I've avoided some bad situations just by reading someone's body language and unconscious movements. I'm no detective, but I can tell when something is "not right". It's that feeling that makes your antennae prick up and the hair stand up on the back of your neck.
Now, when it comes to figuring out who's lying, it's all in the eyes, the mouth, and the movements of the body. Sociopaths can lie to you all day long without giving a clue, but the average person -- not so much! ;)
I watch a lot of crime shows and have seen a ton of police interrogations, so I've become pretty good at it! lol! I should be a cop!
Anyway, interesting subject. We should all be more savvy when it comes to being able to read others.
As this is my own research area, I am delighted to see the TV show "Lie to Me" has developed a following. It certainly is quite different from your average program.
Nice topic, good to know how to know you are being lied ;)
Indeed, facial expressions reveal a lot about what someone is thinking but not necessarily showing....
how i wish i could decipher, who lied, accurately.
Knowing whether you are being lied to isn't all that complicated these days.... If they are a professional person, rendering a professional opinion, then you are factually being lied to! For instance: Politicians, Doctors, Lawyers, Clergymen, Accountants, Brokers, Real Estate Agents, Car Salesmen, Engineers, Architects, Business Executives, etc... are all notorious liars these days. In fact, it is primarily in their best interest to do so, since telling you that they are trying to factually benefit through personally harming you isn't too popular with their customers!
On the other hand, if they are a non-professional giving a non-professional opinion then one need merely ask him or herself: "Will this person gain by lying to me?" If the answer is yes, then they are factually lying. Although this may seem a bit cynical, it will give you an accuracy of around 98.7 percent in detecting all dangerous liars.
Very Interesting...dont like liars =)
wow i so love reading your posts it's very interesting! Very nice topic
I have been with somebody who was into drugs for more than 10 years. It took me a while before I realized I was being lied to because I wanted to believe what he said. After being with him, it became very easy for me to know whether someone is lying. He was very good at it, every engaging to talk to and likable which fooled many people.
I haven't seen the show, I have heard about it though. I can't lie, I get all red in the face and give it away immediately. I hate being lied to more than anything.
I watch Lie to Me sometimes. It's an interesting show but I wonder if it's really possible to reliably catch people in the act of lying. Supposedly, pathological liars can beat polygraphs because lying comes so naturally to them. I think a practiced liar is tough to detect, and a bad liar will be nervous.
thanks for sharing. . .this is timely coz I really want to know how to avoid people when they commit lies.
I would like to master body language - ability to read others could improve the hearing of myself too.
Yet that's impossible to do alone. Could you be my teacher?
I would want to be a professional tell-tale body language reader...Its a way also of protecting myself from envious people who want to do har...
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