“Untruthfulness lies at the heart of all too many of the problems we face as individuals, as a nation, and as a global community.” – Spy the Lie
In the mid-1950s, a new TV game show debuted focused on finding the real McCoy among two imposters. “To Tell the Truth”, consisted of four celebrity panelists drilling three contestants to determine which contender was revealing the truth about their profession. After a series of questions, the host asked the real contestant to please stand up. By relying on the ability of the panel to ask the right question, in an attempt to separate fact from fiction, the deceivers were often revealed.
But lies aren’t just for game shows. The truth is, we all lie. We lie for expedience. We tell untruths to avoid hurt feelings. We invent stories to gain an advantage. And use falsehoods to fit in. And, of course, we fib to deceive. We lie on resumes, and dating apps, for obvious reasons. And we start early, based on some studies, by age 2 or 3. And we lie often. A University of Massachusetts study revealed that 60 percent of participants could not go 10 minutes without telling a lie.
In Philip Houston, Michael Floyd, and Susan Carnicero’s 2012 book, “Spy the Lie”, three former CIA officers reveal their proven methodology for uncovering deception that any individual, company, or law enforcement department can use to expose liars in daily life. Based on the polygraph model that looks for physiological changes, their approach assesses both verbal and nonverbal behaviors. Through a series of real-life examples, the book shows how filtering out irrelevant information and even factual statements can help determine who may be lying because liars insert truthful statements to manage our perceptions.
Rather than relying on gut feelings or intuition, the model looks to identify two or more deceptions following a question, with the first occurring within five seconds, that is, before a person’s thoughts can move away from the questions. Through the use of short, simple, singular, and straightforward questions, deceit can often be revealed.
Based on the author's experience, there are three general lies that people tell: the first are lies of commission, that is, flat-out inaccurate statements; the second are lies of omission that leave out important information that may be relevant; and third, lies of influence, those that avoid answering questions to manipulate our judgment rather than relay truthful information.
Since most communication is nonverbal, behaviors such as pausing, swallowing, putting hands to face, or hiding our mouths, may betray acts of deception. Other micro-expressions and body language, such as twitches, blushing, and clenching, are deemed unreliable, as they vary greatly among both honest and dishonest alike.
Verbal clues can also betray deception. These include a failure or reluctance to answer questions directly, a failure to deny an accusation outright, or providing a nonspecific denial. Repeating the questions delays the response and may cloud their answer. Using qualifiers, like mostly or mainly, can parse answers leading to partial truths or lies.
But not all lies are bad. Some studies put white lies at 80 percent of all lies. The most common lie is the statement, “I’m fine”, in response to a comment. Perhaps there are times when we prefer not to express our current feelings.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar.” Society is irreparably damaged when lying goes undetected, leading to disbelief and division. Any opportunity to spy the lie in real-time can make believers out of all of us.
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