Chapter 17
Chapter 17: Ten Ways to Spot Deception ....................................................................
In This Chapter
Watching facial expressions
Looking for body signals
Listening for voice patterns
‘O
h, what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive!’
The problem with trusting body language as the sole source of infor-
mation is that human beings are complex creatures. One gesture cannot and
does not reveal an entire story any more than a book’s message can be con-
tained in one word. Context is key and even forensic professionals can be
stumped when it comes to spotting the giveaways. That being said, by care-
fully watching for those uncontrolled gestures that appear when least
expected, you may just be able to detect the deceiver.Spotting deception is awfully difficult to do. If you know the person it’s easier,
but not foolproof, because you can compare behaviours between how she
acts when telling the truth and when you think she may be pulling the wool
over your eyes. So, focus on a wide range of clues. If you think that just one
single gesture is going to give the game away, you’re just deceiving yourself.Catching Fleeting Expressions Crossing the Face....................................
If you’ve ever fibbed, fudged, or fabricated – your secret’s safe with me – you
may remember how important it is not to reveal yourself. You adjust your
behaviour so that it’s the opposite of what you think people are looking for.What you can’t control are those tiny, barely perceptible micro expressions
that flit across your face in a nanosecond and die the moment after they’ve
appeared. However, the well-trained observer and the highly intuitive
bystander can spot this involuntary process that, like a traitor, betrays what