There is a very popular lesson in the Spanish proverb that says “the liar, when he is believed, the truth has lost”, and that is that for a sentence, true or false, to be convincing, it is necessary to control both nervousness and body language. However, with the advent of the polygraph, detecting a lie is becoming easier.
This device, also known as a lie detector, is capable of discovering whether a person is telling the truth by recording variations in blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate or other physiological responses. However, professionals specialized in the use of these tools also They are able to tell if someone is lying with a simple technique.
Conchita Pérez, one of the most famous polygraphists in Spain Due to his time in different television programs, he has shared one of the lessons that most determined his professional career. A technique for detecting lies that he learned from his polygraphy instructor and that, contrary to what most people think, is not based on subjecting the possible liar to questions, but on a weakness that all humans have: silence.
Asking too many questions doesn’t work
“At the beginning of my career I thought that to corner a liar you had to pressure him with quick questions.” However, some people are able to face this type of situation and get away with it, maintaining a position that is clearly based on a lie. Therefore, it is necessary exert that pressure in a way that unnerves the person.
“The worst enemy of a guilty person is not pressure, it is your silence“says Conchita, repeating the teachings of her instructor. A lesson that she has applied both in her role as a professional polygraphist and in her personal life, as it makes those who have told a lie begin to feel so uncomfortable that they end up giving themselves away.
The trick is to create an awkward silence that forces you to talk.
One of the best contexts to apply this trick is when asking an awkward question. If you believe that the answer given by the other person is an excuse or, outright, a lie, it is important to avoid responding quickly. “Stay in absolute silence, staring into his eyes. for five seconds,” advises the polygraphist.
This will cause an increasing feeling of discomfort and the other person, if they have told a lie, will begin to panic and will want to fill the silence in some way. “He will begin to give absurd details, to overjustify himself and will end up giving himself away.“says Conchita Pérez. On the contrary, if he has told the truth, he will not use that void to explain in more detail, because he will be sure of his answer.
Other signs with which to detect a lie
In the case of habitual liars, different studies have shown that their brain begins to get used to it and stop emitting emotional responses to their own statements. This makes it difficult for the rest of the people around them to detect when they are telling falsehoods, since your body does not usually emit the most common signals of body language.
However, in those who tend to tell lies more casually, their body often gives signs that reveal insecurity about their words. The most common signs that help detect this type of behavior They are: pursing the lips and compressing them or directly covering the mouth; touching the neck or other parts of the body such as the ears or face; or hide your thumbs, as this is a clear sign of discomfort.