In the article they say the body itches but I
didn't say that. I said that there's more nerve endings around the tip of the
nose, the outer edge of the ear, around the orbit of the eye and around mouth and
when you're stressed those nerve endings fire causing them to itch. I just
talked about those locations. They should re-post the article with the
corrections soon.
His words may say one thing, but his lips say entirely another!
By some estimates, the average person tells at least one little
white lie per day. A small fib here or there likely doesn't do much damage, but
when it's someone you love and trust that's struggling to stick to the truth,
it's a bit more worrying.
When attempting to interpret
someone's behavior, especially a romantic partner, it's important to first
determine their normal habits."When you see a change in their baseline
behavior, that's your 'aha moment,'" says Blanca Cobb, body
language expert and author of Method of the Masters.
It's also important to note that
unusual body language doesn't necessarily mean deception. Work
stress, anxiety, or nervous jitters — which often result in fidgeting, breaking
eye contact, and filler words (like "um" and "you know") —
could be influencing your loved one's behavior.
Truthful people gesture just before
they speak, whereas liars gesture just after."
So what's normal fidgeting, and what
counts as deceptive body language? Timing is everything: "Truthful people
gesture just before they speak, whereas liars gesture just after they start
talking," explains Traci Brown in her book How to Detect Lies, Fraud and Identity Theft.
Here are a few ways to interpret
potentially deceptive facial expressions, hand, and foot gestures:
Facial Expressions: Twitchy Eyes and
Lip Movements
"When under stress, you'll show
snippets of your true emotions on your face," says Cobb. "These
micro-expressions occur within 1/15th of a second."
Shifty eyes and reduced eye contact
are not indicators of shady behavior. What is: twitching of the eyes and mouth,
pursed lips, and excessive blinking (we're talking more than 70 blinks a
minute), Cobb explains.
A disingenuous smile is another
indicator of a lie, according to Brown. "Duper's Delight," for
example, happens when someone smiles at an inappropriate moment, like when they
have just been caught in a lie.
Hand Gestures: Too Much Touching
Every person has different gestures
that provide comfort — just like every child reaches for a different blanket or
teddy bear at night. The most common comfort cues in adults are knuckle
cracking, increased yawning, crossing legs, tapping fingers, humming, rocking,
wiggling, and hair touching, according to Brown.
You might even notice that a
suspected liar begins to scratch himself. "Stress negatively affects nerve
endings, which causes people to feel itchy," says Wood. The eyes, nose,
ears, and mouth have the most nerve endings, so they are often the first areas
for which someone may reach.
When wrapped up in a lie or abnormally
stressful situation, they may hide their hands under a table or desk, or tuck
their hands into their pockets."When the conversation moves to tough
questions where you need direct answers and their hands suddenly move below the
table, it's likely they're hiding something and aren't 100% forthcoming,"
says Brown.
Fidgety Feet: Twisting, Tapping, and
More
Last but not least, fidgety feet are
a major indicator of guilt. "We have the least control over our
feet," Brown says. "When people are answering tough questions and are
on the spot, they'll look like they're rocking." By twisting, tapping, or
bouncing legs, adults will create a lack of symmetry in their body.
"While doing this, they are
saying one thing but feeling another," says Wood. This off-center behavior
mimics the distance between the truth and the lie.
Patti Wood, MA - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at
www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at
www.snapfirstimpressions.com.
