We often imagine liars as formidable strategists capable of inventing solid stories. In reality, even the most experienced can be exposed. Indeed, it is not so much what they say, but how they say it, who betrays them …
And sometimes a simple word is enough to arouse suspicion.
A single word allows you to target the lie
This is what the American lawyer Jefferson Fisher recalls, in an episode of the Podcast Diary of a CEO. According to him, the word “never” is a classic lies.
For what ? Because “Never is an extreme. The extremes are an obvious sign that they generally do not say the truth “he explains.
Why do liars use absolute words?
Asked about the use of extreme words, Jefferson Fisher gives a striking example. To the question “You never send SMS by driving?”, A person who is lying will answer: “No, never. Driving.“And it is precisely this” never “betrays something.”Everyone does it at one time or another. However, this is always or never true. So it’s a big problem “he says.
Psychologist Amélie Boukhobza confirms this trend. “”The liars are exaggerating, it’s true. It is known. And often it gets along ” she recalls.
For her, words like “always” or “never” are typical of speeches that seek to appear too well. “”These extreme terms are often used to give an impression of solidity, of consistency. But in reality, nobody always does something or ever. “
In other words, a speech too rigid or too clear is not absolute proof, but it can put the chip in the ear. And in some contexts, it reveals discomfort or a desire to bury something.
The real sign of a lie is not the word, it is insistence
To identify a lie, Jefferson Fisher advises a simple but formidable method: to ask twice the same question, with a slightly different tone. This is often enough to tip the answer. “”What they will do most often is that they will say: ‘Well, I mean, sometimes I do it’. “
According to Amélie Boukhobza, this kind of verbal shift is frequent. “”A liar will often do too much, to convince. It will surjured. He can even get lost in his own contradictions when you reformulate the question or come back to his words. “
It also notes a current phenomenon in therapy. “It is not uncommon to hear: ‘No but it has nothing to do with my mother’. And there, often, we know on the contrary that it has everything to see”. In short, the more an idea is denied with force, the more you have to wonder about what it hides.
When words no longer stick with emotions
Beyond language, non-verbal signals are often the most revealing. A too perfect answer, a speech without nuances, too much or not enough details … All this can arouse a strange impression, difficult to describe but easy to feel.
“”A frozen smile, a too posed voice, a too controlled posture“, Cites Amélie Boukhobza. It is not an exact science, but our brain captures inconsistency. And sometimes, a simple reformulation is enough to unmask the impostor.