Someone who lies alot

How to Cope with Someone’s Compulsive Lies

Pathological lying

Pathological lying, also known as mythomania and pseudologia fantastica, is the chronic behavior of compulsive or habitual lying.

Unlike telling the occasional white lie to avoid hurting someone’s feelings or getting in trouble, a pathological liar seems to lie for no apparent reason. This can make it frustrating or hard to know what to do if you believe you’ve met one.

Though pathological lying has been recognized for more than a century, there’s not yet a clear universal definition of the condition.

Some pathological lying may result from a mental condition, such as antisocial personality disorder (sometimes called sociopathy), while others appear to have no medical reason for the behavior.

A pathological liar is someone who lies compulsively. While there appears to be many possible causes for pathological lying, it’s not yet entirely understood why someone would lie this way.

Some lies seem to be told in order to make the pathological liar appear the hero, or to gain acceptance or sympathy, while there’s seemingly nothing to be gained from other lies.

Some evidence from 2007 suggests that issues affecting the central nervous system may predispose someone to pathological lying.

Compulsive lying is also a known trait of some personality disorders, such as antisocial personality disorder. Trauma or head injuries may also play a role in pathological lying, along with an abnormality in hormone-cortisol ratio.

A 2016 study of what happens in the brain when you lie found that the more untruths a person tells, the easier and more frequent lying becomes. The results also indicated that self-interest seems to fuel dishonesty.

Though the study didn’t specifically look at pathological lying, it may give some insight into why pathological liars lie as much and as easily as they do.

The following are some of the scientifically recognized traits and characteristics of pathological liars.

Their lies seem to have no clear benefit

While a person might lie to avoid an uncomfortable situation, such as embarrassment or getting in trouble, a pathological liar tells lies or stories that don’t have an objective benefit.

Friends and family can find this especially frustrating because the person lying doesn’t stand to gain anything from their lies.

The stories they tell are usually dramatic, complicated, and detailed

Pathological liars are great storytellers. Their lies tend to be very detailed and colorful.

Even though obviously over-the-top, the pathological liar may be very convincing.

They usually portray themselves as the hero or victim

Along with being made the hero or victim in their stories, pathological liars tend to tell lies that seem to be geared at gaining admiration, sympathy, or acceptance by others.

They sometimes seem to believe the lies they tell

A pathological liar tells lies and stories that fall somewhere between conscious lying and delusion. They sometimes believe their own lies.

It’s difficult to know how to deal with a pathological liar who may not always be conscious of their lying. Some do it so often that experts believe they may not know the difference between fact and fiction after some time.

Pathological liars also tend to be natural performers. They’re eloquent and know how to engage with others when speaking. They’re creative and original, and quick thinkers who don’t usually show common signs of lying, such as long pauses or avoidance of eye contact.

When asked questions, they may speak a lot without ever being specific or answering the question.

Most people lie at one time or another. Previous research has suggested that we tell an average of 1.65 lies every day. Most of these lies are what are considered “white lies.”

Pathological lies, on the other hand, are told consistently and habitually. They tend to appear pointless and often continuous.

White lies

White lies are occasional and considered:

small fibs
harmless
without malicious intent
told to spare another’s feelings or avoid getting in trouble

Some examples of white lies include:

saying you have a headache to get out of attending a meeting
saying you’ve paid the phone bill when you forgot to pay it
lying about why you were late for work

Pathological lies

Pathological lies are:

told frequently and compulsively
told for no apparent reason or gain
continuous
told to make the teller appear heroic or the victim
not deterred by guilt or risk of getting found out

Examples of pathological lying:

creating a false history, such as saying they’ve achieved or experienced something they haven’t
claiming to have a life-threatening illness that they don’t have
telling lies to impress others, such as saying they’re related to a famous person

Identifying a pathological liar isn’t always easy. While it may be human nature to be suspicious of anything that appears “too good to be true,” not all lies told by pathological liars are over-the-top.

They also tell “regular” lies that someone without a compulsion to lie might tell.

The following are some signs that may help you identify a pathological liar:

they often talk about experiences and accomplishments in which they appear heroic
they’re also the victim in many of their stories, often looking for sympathy
their stories tend to be elaborate and very detailed
they respond elaborately and quickly to questions, but the responses are usually vague and don’t provide an answer to the question
they may have different versions of the same story, which stems from forgetting previous details

Knowing a pathological liar can be deeply frustrating because the lying appears to be pointless.

It can test the trust in any relationship and make it hard to even have a simple conversation with the person.

Here are a few pointers to help you handle a conversation with a pathological liar:

Don’t lose your temper

As frustrating as it may be, it’s important not to let your anger get the better of you when confronting a pathological liar. Be supportive and kind, but firm.

Expect denial

Someone who pathologically lies may have the tendency to first respond with a lie. If you confront them about their lying, chances are that they’ll deny it.

They may become enraged and express shock at the accusation.

Remember that it’s not about you

It’s hard not to take being lied to personally, but pathological lying isn’t about you. The person may be driven by an underlying personality disorder, anxiety, or low self-esteem.

Be supportive

When talking to the person about their lies, remind them that they don’t need to try to impress you. Let them know that you value them for who they really are.

Don’t engage them

When you notice the person lying, don’t engage them. You can question what they’re saying, which may encourage them to stop the lie at that point.

You can also let them know that you don’t want to continue the conversation when they’re being dishonest.

Suggest medical help

Without judgment or shaming, suggest that they consider professional help and let them know your suggestion comes from genuine concern for their well-being.

Be prepared with information about pathological lying, such as a printout of an article or a pamphlet that they can read when they’re ready. Expressing that you’re concerned that their behavior may result from an underlying medical condition may also help.

A pathological liar is an excellent storyteller and performer. They know how to captivate their audience by telling elaborate and fantastic stories while being very animated.

Along with knowing how to weave and express a detailed story, people are also fascinated by what drives a person to lie.

It’s natural to want to know why they’re lying, especially when there doesn’t seem to be an apparent reason for their lies.

Diagnosing a pathological liar can be difficult because of the many possible causes of the behavior. Speaking with the person and conducting a medical history and interview isn’t usually enough to make a diagnosis because of the person’s tendency to lie.

An important part of diagnosing a pathological liar is determining if they recognize that they’re lying or believe the lies they tell.

Some professionals use a polygraph, also known as a lie detector test. The test isn’t to catch them in a lie, but to see how well or often they “beat” the polygraph as this suggests that they believe their lies or have become good at using other measures to convince others of their lies.

Some professionals also interview family members and friends when diagnosing a pathological liar.

Treatment will depend on whether or not the pathological lying is a symptom of an underlying psychiatric condition.

Treatment would include psychotherapy and may also include medication for other issues that might be fueling the behavior, such as drugs used to treat anxiety or depression.

How to empathize and cope with a pathological liar comes down to an understanding of what may be causing this person to lie while being supportive.

It’s likely that the lying is a symptom of another issue that can be treated. Encourage them to get the help they need.

10 Pathological Liar Signs and How to Cope

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Most of us lie once in a while. We’ve all told a white lie to protect someone’s feelings, or stretched the truth a little to avoid a conflict or get out of something we don’t want to do. Lying isn’t ideal in any situation. But when it becomes a habit, and other pathological liar signs are also present, a mental health issue may be causing the behavior.

A pathological liar not only lies frequently, but may feel a compulsion to do so. Pathological liars can’t stop lying even when it causes psychological distress, puts them in danger, and creates problems with relationships, work, or other aspects of daily life. Furthermore, pathological lying tends to start early—in adolescence and young adulthood.

What Is a Pathological Liar?

Being a pathological liar is not in itself a mental health diagnosis. It is not included in the DSM-5, which lists mental health disorders. However, it is an established concept in psychology. Pathological lying is related to disordered thinking patterns and beliefs. The word pathological indicates that there is an underlying pathology, or illness. Hence, pathological liar signs are associated with various underlying mental health conditions.

Pathological lying was first identified in 1891 by psychiatrist Anton Delbrück. He gave it the Latin name pseudologia fantastica (sometimes spelled phantastica). Pathological lying is also known as mythomania and morbid lying. The original definition was “falsification entirely disproportionate to any discernible end in view, [which] may be extensive and very complicated, manifesting over a period of years or even a lifetime.”

Contemporary researchers have modified that definition. A 2020 study defined pathological lying as “a persistent, pervasive, and often compulsive pattern of excessive lying behavior that leads to clinically significant impairment of functioning in social, occupational, or other areas; causes marked distress; poses a risk to the self or others; and occurs for longer than six months.” The same study found that between 8 and 13 percent of people identify themselves as pathological liars, or say that other identify them that way.

Know the Facts

Pathological lying is defined by some experts as lying five or more times daily, every day, for longer than six months.

10 Pathological Liar Signs

How do you recognize a pathological liar? Consistent lying and making up stories are the primary signs of pathological lying. Typical pathological liar signs in young adults include:

Embellishing lies with extensive details
Telling dramatic and highly unlikely stories
Appearing anxious while talking
Getting defensive when confronted about a lie
Constantly changing their story or being vague when questioned
Lying about something even when there’s no reason to
Seeming unconcerned with being caught in a lie
Feeling a “high” when they get away with lying
Passing off a story someone else told as their own
Acting in ways that don’t match their words

Pathological liars may lie for a specific reason, or their lying may be more random. And pathological lying is not defined just by the frequency of lies. The distress and danger that lying causes is also significant. For example, a pathological liar may lie about their suicidal tendencies in a therapy session, putting themselves in danger.

How Do You Know If Someone Is a Pathological Liar?

Researchers have developed a specific pathological liar test known as the Survey of Pathological Lying behaviors (SPL). The SPL is a nine‐item questionnaire about lying behavior in which respondents can answer on a scale of 1 to 7 (1=strongly disagree, 7=strongly agree). Of course, there is always the possibility that a pathological liar will answer untruthfully.

In addition, the lie detector test known as a polygraph can be helpful in identifying pathological liar signs. With pathological lying, the polygraph is used not to detect lies, but rather to reveal whether a person is good at “fooling” the polygraph. If they are telling lies but the polygraph doesn’t record them as such, this can be a sign that the person has become highly skilled at lying. Or they may think they are telling the truth.

Do pathological liars believe their own lies? According to mental health experts, many pathological and compulsive liars do believe the stories they’re telling. They may have repeated their lies so often that they start to feel true. Pathological liars often live in a fantasy world they’ve constructed, in which their “truth” becomes reality.

Know the Facts

Pathological liar signs typically begin between ages 10 and 20, according to a study published in Psychiatric Research & Clinical Practice.

Pathological Lying vs. Other Types of Lying

Not all lying is considered pathological. There are different types of lying with symptoms that are similar to pathological liar signs. Other types of liars include:

White liar: tells untruths to protect others’ feelings
Occasional liar: lies at times to try to make themselves look good or to get their needs met
Habitual liar: has fallen into a habit of lying because it feels easier or more convenient than telling the truth
Compulsive liar: feels a “high” when they get away with lying, similar to other compulsions or addictions
Prolific liar: lies frequently but do not experience as much distress about lying or perceive as much danger as pathological liars

Whether or not lying behaviors are classified as pathological, it’s clear that mental health issues are part of the equation when a person consistently fails to tell the truth and doesn’t feel safe to be their true self. Moreover, pathological lying may also be related to brain function. Imaging research has shown that the brains of pathological liars look different from other people’s brains.

How Pathological Lying Impacts Relationships

Understandably, pathological liars typically have significant problems with relationships, both friendships and romantic partnerships. Early in a relationship, those on the receiving end of pathological lying usually have a gut feeling that something isn’t right. Over time, being consistently lied to creates feelings of frustration, anger, hurt, and confusion.

Building trust with a pathological liar is difficult if not impossible. It can feel like being gaslit—you’re constantly questioning yourself and the other person about what’s real. Pathological or compulsive lying can also be part of an abusive relationship pattern.

The area of greatest impairment in functioning for those in the PL group was in social relationships. This finding was not surprising, because deception often damages trust, especially when used to conceal a transgression.

Drew Curtis, PhD, and Christian Hart, PhD
Psychiatric Research and Clinical Practice journal

Why Do Pathological Liars Lie?

Pathological lying in young adults is associated with a variety of mental health disorders and underlying issues.

Lying as a compulsion or habit

Lying can become a compulsion similar to the compulsions felt by people with obsessive compulsive disorder. A study published in Nature Neuroscience found that the more a person lies, the easier it becomes to keep lying. Moreover, the study described lying as a “slippery slope” in which smaller lies escalate into bigger ones.

Personality disorders and pathological lying

Pathological lying or lying compulsively can also be a symptom of antisocial personality disorder or narcissistic personality disorder. People with these personality disorders may lie to gain sympathy or social status, or to preserve a false sense of self. Pathological liar signs can also be symptoms of borderline personality disorder (BPD). With BPD, lying is often a way to avoid rejection or abandonment.

Lies associated with Munchausen syndrome

People with the mental health disorder known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy may lie frequently. This type of pathological lying is for a specific purpose connected with their disorder. With Munchausen syndrome, people lie about being sick themselves or about someone they care for (a child or patient) being sick.

Childhood trauma as a cause of pathological lying

In some cases, pathological lying can be a result of childhood trauma, such as neglect or abuse. People who did not get their needs met as children may begin lying as a coping mechanism, in an attempt to get the love and reassurance they crave. Or they may internalize the message early on that they are not good enough as they are. So they lie to hide what they see as unforgiveable personal flaws that make them unworthy of others’ love.

The Dos and Don’ts of How to Deal with a Pathological Liar

If you know someone who repeatedly lies, here are a few approaches for coping with this problematic behavior.

Don’t expect them to admit to a lie, even if you can prove they’re lying. Pathological liars will stick to their story even when it’s obvious to everyone else that they are lying.
Don’t take it personally—remember the behavior isn’t about you. A pathological liar is unable to control their lying due to the underlying mental health disorder.
Don’t consider eye contact as a sign someone is telling the truth; pathological liars may believe what they’re saying or be so used to lying that they can easily maintain eye contact while telling an untruth.
Don’t lose your temper. Attaching the person will only cause them to become more defensive and may even trigger more lying behavior.

Do trust yourself and your reality, and check in with others to confirm your truth if you need to.
Do pay attention to the person’s actions to get a picture of who they are, rather than listening to their words. Their body language can also reveal the truth more than what they say.
Do set boundaries around what you are willing to tolerate in the relationship. You may need to step back from the relationship entirely if the lying continues and the person is not willing to try to change.
Do encourage them to try therapy in order to learn more about themselves and why they feel driven to lie. Consider therapy for yourself as well, to learn how to set healthy boundaries and stay grounded in your own truth.

Treatment for the Root Causes of Pathological Lying

To truly change pathological lying behavior, it’s essential to address the underlying mental health issues catalyzing the lies. Through therapy, people can become more aware of their lying patterns and the reasons they lie. Therapy can help them build the motivation to change and practice new, healthier ways of communicating their needs and emotions.

At Newport Institute, we guide young adults to uncover childhood trauma that may be impacting their behavior. Young people learn to replace unhealthy coping mechanisms like lying, substance abuse, and self-harm with new skills for self-regulation and self-expression. Within a supportive environment that values honesty and openness, our clients build authentic connections with themselves and with peers and mentors.

Are you or a loved one struggling with self-destructive behaviors? Are you a parent or partner of someone who is displaying pathological liar signs? Contact us today to find out about our specialized model of care and how we help emerging adults get started on the path to long-term, sustainable healing.

Frequently Asked Questions About Pathological Lying

How can you tell if someone is a pathological liar?

Five pathological liar signs are making up dramatic and fantastical stories; constantly changing their story or being vague when questioned; telling lies even when there’s no reason to; passing off a story someone else told as their own; and getting defensive when confronted about a lie.

What are 5 signs that someone is lying?

In general, feeling overwhelmed indicates that a person’s resources or resilience are not equal to the stressors they are experiencing. Lifestyle changes, self-care exercises, and support from a mental health professional can help build resilience and give you more tools for dealing with overwhelm.

What mental illness causes pathological lying?

Pathological liar signs can be symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, and Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

What is the difference between a compulsive liar and a pathological liar?

One difference is that compulsive liars have no particular reason for their lying, while pathological lying is less random.

What drives a pathological liar?

Overwhelm is not a form of anxiety. But frequent feelings of overwhelm can be a symptom of an anxiety Underlying mental health issues such as personality disorders, other mental disorders, and childhood trauma can catalyze pathological lying. They use lying as a miguided way to get the social status, acceptance, or sympathy they crave.

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Comp Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2021; 8: 100091.

JBI Evidence Synthesis. 2019 Sept; 17(9): 1855–1876.

Trends Neuroscience Education. 2019 Jun; 15: 29–37.

Neurol Sci. 2017 Mar; 38(3): 451–458.

Psychol Science. 1997: 8(3): 162–166.

Co-Occurring Disorders / November 14, 2022

90,000 scientists have found out why people quickly get used to lying

Fresh number

RG-Nedel

Rodina

thematic applications

Union

Society

08. 11.2016 22:00

Share as a person as a person as a person as a person gets used to telling a lie

Yuri Medvedev

One lie will give birth to another, said the philosopher of Ancient Rome Terence, he was echoed by Lope de Vega: whoever knows how to deceive once, he will deceive many times more. Politicians are especially distinguished here. Someone even said that the history of lies is the history of mankind. It is written with a pen that has been dipped into an inkwell filled with lies.

A team of American and British scientists undertook to investigate the effect of the growth of lies. 80 people took part in an unusual experiment. According to the conditions, each of them had to dodge and lie in every possible way in order to receive a cash bonus. Meanwhile, the tomograph monitored what was happening in the areas of the brain responsible for responding to emotional stimuli. In this case, we are talking about the so-called amygdala, or amygdala. It turned out that when the participants first set foot on the slippery path of lies, the activity in the amygdala was high, but gradually the picture changed. The more false experience accumulated, the more passively she worked.

What is the reason for this effect? Obviously, when a person lies for the first time, the amygdala "tenses up", and we feel not entirely pleasant emotions in connection with our own lies. But then something like addiction occurs, the amygdala resigns itself, and we lie without fear of discomfort. Scientists themselves believe that there is an adaptation to dishonesty, since neurons react less violently to it, get used to it. No wonder people say, once lying, who will believe you. It turns out that once having embarked on a slippery path of lies, it is already difficult to get off it. Your brain is not giving an SOS alarm. In any case, it quickly weakens, and then generally falls silent. By the way, earlier scientists with the help of a tomograph observed how activity decreases in the same way, for example, with repeated demonstration of repulsive images - and they cease to seem so disgusting.

In general, this habituation mechanism is, in fact, universal. The whole experience of a person shows that it is difficult to do an unseemly act the first time, and then the threshold of rejection quickly decreases. You need a very strong shake to come to your senses. But, alas, even it does not always help. The train, as they say, has already left. How this happens, how a person loses his conscience, can now be seen on a tomograph.

Very interesting experiments on the study of the mechanism of lies were carried out at the Institute of the Human Brain of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It turned out that as soon as a person lied, after about 150-200 milliseconds, a sharp jump appeared on the electroencephalogram. And it wasn't, if the answer was true. According to the director of the institute, academician Svyatoslav Medvedev, this is the result of the work of an "error detector", which is located in the temporal region of the head. The point is the following. Our brain has a matrix of "how to". Let's say, running away to work, you forgot to turn off the kettle or iron. And somewhere along the way, suddenly anxiety seizes you - something is not right. This turns on the "error detector", signaling: there is a mismatch between your actions and the "as it should" matrix. Such a universal mechanism protects a person from many accidental troubles.

- It doesn't stop you from lying, it just warns you that the answer is wrong, says the scientist. - For what? And so that a person does not deceive himself, otherwise, in this way, you can generally lose all guidelines in life. Let's say you can convince someone that the advertised product is of high quality. But to use it yourself - not my God.

Moreover, the "jump" occurs when a person is just about to lie. That is, the "error detector" does not prevent a person from committing an unseemly act, but it certainly warns him about it, instills doubt in us: you did something wrong. This is the pangs of conscience.

But Svyatoslav Medvedev especially emphasizes that not only the righteous and noble people have a conscience, morality, but also the very last sinner. Because without a "error detector" our brain cannot work. It constantly monitors whether there is a discrepancy between our actions and the "how to" matrix.

- The whole question is what is written in this matrix? - explains Svyatoslav Medvedev. - After all, concepts, conscience, morality are not universal. Each person has their own idea of what is good and what is bad. Your own morality. Let's say a martyr will worry that he has destroyed few infidels. Or in a civilized society, eating a person is terrible, in some tribes it is the norm. And the "error detector" only fixes the discrepancy between your specific morality and your actions.

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An employee's petty lie nearly cost Andrew Bauer his most valuable client. Correspondent BBC Capital set out to find out if there are ways to tell when people are lying to you.

In 2014, Bauer, the head of Royce Leather, a New York-based luxury travel accessory company, was preparing to launch a new product through a major department store. A couple of weeks before the scheduled start date, he checked with his deputy to see if the item was on order. He confirmed that everything was in order.

Two weeks later, Bauer received a call from the department store asking when the goods could arrive. Only then did he discover that his deputy had never ordered the products.

"The situation was very unpleasant," Bauer recalls. "And this episode affected our relationship with the department store."

But what surprised Bauer the most was that his deputy, an experienced employee with 30 years of experience, lied to him.

(Similar articles in the "Journal" section)

Although Bauer says his employees are mostly honest, in principle people lie all the time. According to a 2002 study by the University of Massachusetts, 60% of adults tell a lie at least once in a 10-minute conversation. Basically, we are talking about the so-called "socially justified lies" - we all periodically resort to harmless lies.

But sometimes lies are much more serious and lead to serious consequences, says Michael Floyd, co-founder of QVerity, which offers behavioral analysis services to private and corporate clients to determine when people are lying.

Office liars

Catching subordinates in lies is becoming an increasingly urgent task, notes Floyd, himself a former CIA agent. Employers fear cases of fraud, hacker attacks, the possibility of skilled workers being poached by competitors along with all corporate secrets, and much more, says Floyd. Employees also like to know when their bosses are lying to them.

Image copyright, Thinkstock

Image caption,

It's not always possible to use a lie detector...

According to Floyd, most of us resort to lies to avoid unpleasant consequences. In everyday life, the question "how are you?" the person replies that everything is in order, otherwise it will be necessary to have an awkward conversation about what a terrible day he had today. In the business world, people do all sorts of nasty things - and then they lie, because, of course, they don't want trouble.

For example, in 2006, Sanjay Kumar, the former CEO of Computer Associates, was convicted of complicity in a $2.2 billion securities fraud. He misrepresented the income from sales of software licenses and lied to the company's investors. Kumar was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

You can recognize a lie if you understand what pushes people to it, and be able to read the signs of a lie long before the truth is revealed.

Spotting a liar

People can only accurately tell if a person is lying or not 54% of the time, says London-based behavioral scientist Gordon Wright.

According to him, the difficulty lies in the fact that we all lie in different ways, and in addition, we usually assume that others are telling us the truth.

"We all tend to believe that the interlocutor is being honest with us," says Wright. "If we didn't assume that people are telling the truth by default, the whole process of communication would collapse."

He notes that we can improve our ability to pinpoint instances in which we are being lied to by looking for specific features in people's behavior. And, surprisingly, these are not at all the features that we usually expect to find in liars.

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Image caption,

If a person hides their eyes, that's not proof they're lying.

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Most of us believe that people who tell lies try not to make eye contact, or that they have shifty eyes, but there is no evidence for these claims, says Lianna ten Brinke, professor of psychology at the California University at Berkeley.

In reality, the opposite often happens - liars look their interlocutors straight in the eye, because they know that if they look away, they may not be believed.

The facial expression is much more revealing. Feelings don't lie, says Ten Brinke. When people lie, they often try to imitate contextually appropriate emotions, but facial muscles do not respond properly to fake emotions.

A good example in this sense is a smile. With a sincere smile, the muscles responsible for wrinkles around the eyes are activated. With insincere, the corners of the mouth rise up, but the muscles around the eyes remain motionless. This is not so easy to notice if you do not follow the facial expressions of the interlocutor, but with a certain amount of attentiveness, it is quite possible. "A fake smile looks insincere - something is missing from it," says Ten Brinke.

Lying also requires great mental effort. The liar needs to come up with a coherent and plausible story - without unnecessary details, but also without gaping gaps. Usually liars give less information than those who tell the truth; they may pause more often or sound uncertain, especially if they haven't rehearsed their story beforehand, says Ten Brinke.

CIA technique

Whether your interlocutor is lying can also be determined by his reaction to your questions.

By bringing together years of experience in questioning suspects and witnesses, Floyd and colleagues at the CIA developed a method for determining lies based on the analysis of how people answer questions. According to Floyd, there are five points worth paying attention to.

Nonverbal cues are especially important. If a person actively gesticulates, puts his hands to his face, or clears his throat frequently, it is possible that he is lying.
Another sign of a lie is an attempt to evade an answer.
The third sign is insistent statements that everything is in order, which should alert you.
The manifestation of aggression towards the interlocutor is also a possible sign of a lie.
In addition, there is also manipulation - in an attempt to control the situation, a person repeats your questions after you or says phrases that are not an answer - for example, says: "That's a good question."

Floyd says he needs at least two of the five signs to suspect he is being scammed. And the more such manifestations are present in human behavior, the higher the likelihood that you are not mistaken.

Context also matters, Wright notes. If the company's financial performance has deteriorated, but at the same time the boss assures the team that there will be no layoffs, it is worth considering whether he is telling the truth. And managers would do well to carefully observe how dissatisfied with their work employees react to their questions and whether they demonstrate any of the above attributes of a lie.

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