Lying is one of my pet peeves. I genuinely hate it and really cannot see the point in lying because liars always get found out. That’s the belief I hold on to. I’m so desperately clinging to this, hoping the Lannisters will experience the karma they deserve after all of their lies and treachery. Anyway, less of Game of Thrones and more of the tell-tale signs that somebody is lying to you.

The Content Is Too Detailed

People generally believe that if you can’t give details about an event, you’re lying about it. This isn’t actually true. Obviously if a person cannot remember a thing and then switch up the sparse pieces of information they do recall, it’s likely they are lying. However, if that individual gives every little detail possible about a situation then the chances are the words that are coming out of their mouth are lies. Overcompensating, you could say. Think about it. When somebody asks you what you did last weekend and you recall events, you don’t tell them the texture of the chips you ate on Saturday night and the exact time you did this.

Eye Contact

I think there are two ends to this one. On the one hand, if a person cannot make eye contact at all then there’s a good chance they feel guilty about the information being hidden. However if somebody keeps direct eye contact for the whole time they are relaying a story to you, not even looking away for a second, chances are the overcompensating behaviour is back. It’s normal for your eyes to flick here and there during a conversation. I know I do it. It’s a little bit awkward if you penetrate deep into somebody else’s soul during social interaction, which is why humans tend to divert their gaze when chatting to another person.

Being Fidgety

People who are fidgety generally feel anxious. I know when I’m in an exam or job interview, I have to make a conscious effort to stop my hands from doing their own thing and playing with the jewellery I’m wearing. If somebody you’re questioning cannot keep still then chances are they are trying to deceive you and are actually very bad at it. Our bodies tend to betray us through the unspoken language they communicate and there’s very little we can do about it. A good liar is either a psychopath or has taken years to master their own tell-tale signs.

The Story Is Far-fetched

Unless you’re Alan, Doug, Stu and Phil and have woken up in Las Vegas, only to find a tiger in your bathroom and baby in the closet, any far-fetched story you come up with about why you have not done something or why you’re not present for your Wedding probably is not true. Keep this in mind when listening to somebody’s account of why they let you down or why they weren’t answering their mobile for days. Remember that people who opt for this lying tactic are generally quite stupid, so trying to appeal to any kind of logic when explaining why their story doesn’t add up will just end up with more ridiculous lies.

Using Your Words When Answering A Question

Lying uses a great deal of cognitive effort. Not only is a person thinking about the lie they told in the first place but they are also processing the question asked to them and then contemplating the response and whether this will seem believable, whilst keeping in mind what they can and can’t say. It really does take a lot of energy to do this, so a liar will be grateful for the words you use when asking a question. For example, if you said “Did you steal my chocolate bar?” (trust me to use food to illustrate my point) a liar would generally use your own words and reply “No I did not steal your chocolate bar!” Doing this requires very little brain activity on their part and also prevents them from tripping up by using their own sentences.

Answering A Question With A Question

As you’re questioning somebody who is lying, they’re frantically trying to think of a plausible response in their head. Therefore biding some time by answering your question with a question of their own enables them to do this. Going back to somebody stealing my chocolate bar (how dare they!), you would ask “Did you steal my chocolate bar?” and they would respond with something along the lines of “Do you think I would steal your chocolate bar?” Not only does this gain a valuable few seconds for their brain to get its act together, it also makes you feel guilty for questioning their guilt in the first place. Very cunning. Very manipulative. Very Cersei Lannister.