The 5 Things You Need to Do to Catch Someone in a Lie

Here in the post-truth era you’ve got to become better than ever at being a HUMAN LIE DETECTOR.  And yeah, that’s actually possible.

Here are the five things you need to do to catch someone in a lie, according to studies by the FBI’s High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group.

1.  Be nice to the person.  You need the person to like you so they want to talk and talk and talk and talk and talk . . . which gives them a chance to slip up.

2.  Don’t obsess over body language.  Things like a lack of eye contact or fidgeting AREN’T the signs of a lie you might think they are.  Don’t waste your time focusing on someone’s body language.

3.  Ask unanticipated questions.  If someone’s ready for your question, they can tell a confident lie.  But if you surprise them with questions, they can start hedging.  Also . . . ask for verifiable details.  See if they’re willing to provide proof.

4.  Use strategic evidence.  Lead the person to say something you know is a lie.  Then drop a piece of evidence on them to catch them in it.

5.  Don’t challenge them too early.  Let the conversation go on for a while before you start trapping the person with evidence or tricky questions.  Let them say as much as possible before they realize what you’re doing.