Q&A

Here is your forum. Do you have a question? Feel free to ask it!

One reader today asked me if I could discern if someone was lying by watching a video of them, even though I couldn’t understand the language spoken. The reader believed that because the person was calm, and relaxed, that this indicated they were not lying.

The answer to their question was no, you cannot use body language alone (any body language) to conclusively identify if someone is honest or deceptive. It simply cannot be done, and is dangerous to do.

It’s not all about expressions. Language does matter. Emotions matter. Words matter. Facts matter. Behavior matters. The show “Lie to Me” isn’t explaining the nuances of this ability very well.

It’s also important that people realize there is not one universal clue that can be applied “across the board” to spot deception. Not one. What one person does when he is lying, another will do when he is honest. There is always an exception to every clue. Always. That’s what makes deception detection so hard for the average person, because this is not about clues. It is about understanding human behavior, to the core.

Deception detection is more about the sum of inconsistencies, and the sum in total indicates deception. This is so important, and clearly not being communicated on “Lie to Me”. Microexpressions, and the other clues shown on the show, are used in the process of discerning a lie, but they are not conclusive of anything in and of themselves, outside of indicating a person’s emotional state of mind (which will just provide you with a clue).