How to Catch Someone Lying
Tell the story in your own words., Use leading questions to ferret out a lie., Surprise the person., Try a volatile conundrum., Gather evidence., Hold up your evidence for a confession.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Tell the story in your own words.
When you suspect someone of something, tell the story how you think it happened.
Most people can't resist filling in details, despite the fact that the person won't confess or hasn't told the truth beforehand.For instance, you could say, "Here's what I think happened.
You saw there was only one milk chocolate bar left, and you wanted to save it for yourself, right? And then you decided to sneak it away to hide it in the night stand." You can even replace details you know to be true with lies, such as calling it a milk chocolate bar when it was actually dark, as the person will want to jump in to correct you.
This technique often elicits more of a response than direct questions. -
Step 2: Use leading questions to ferret out a lie.
Oftentimes, you can't determine a lie just from talking with a person.
However, you can use nonverbal cues to help point you in the right direction, so you know what to check up on to see if the person is lying.For example, if you're wondering if your spouse hid the last bar of chocolate, you could ask a series of questions to help lead to the answer, such as "If you had hid the chocolate, would you have hidden it in the night stand? Would you have hidden it in the refrigerator? Would you have hidden it in your purse?" If your spouse reacts to one of the questions, such as rubbing their eyes, that could indicate where the chocolate is hidden, though you should check up on it to make sure, not accuse your spouse of lying outright. , Sometimes catching the person off guard is enough to bring out a lie.
That is, the person has probably practiced what they were going to tell you, particularly if it's a big lie.
In that case, try asking questions that are surprising or startling, which can throw the liar off their rhythm, possibly catching them in a lie.For example, you could ask your spouse, "Did the chocolate have nuts in it?" That question may seem out of the blue, particularly if you're asking whether your spouse ate or hid the chocolate. , A volatile conundrum is in someways similar to catching the liar by surprise.
However, you can question a person using this technique without them knowing.
Basically, you're forcing them to answer a question that could catch them in a lie either way, and they have to think on their feet to answer the question.For example, if your spouse is saying they didn't hide the last bit of chocolate, you could ask, "Well, that's funny, because I thought I saw a bar of it last night." The key here is you don't even have to be telling the truth.
The other person doesn't know if you are or not.
If they're telling the truth, then they'll likely reply quickly with something like, "Silly, we finished that box last week." If they're lying, they're more likely to say something like, "Oh, um, yeah, I'm not sure what you're talking about," or "Um, no, I don't think there was." If you think the person is telling the truth, you can play it off as a mistake, such as, "Oh, I guess I forgot I ate the last one a week ago.
So, what's for dinner?" A redirect after the question can help move the conversation onward. , Once you've figured out a direction to investigate, you can gather evidence.
Check up on the lead you figured out.
For instance, if you suspect you know where your spouse hid the chocolate, you can go and check that location.In another example, you could check a car's history if you suspect a salesperson is lying to you about it.
One way to gather evidence is to use social media.
Sometimes, a person may contradict themselves by posting on social media.
For instance, they may tell you they are going out with friends to movie, but they might accidentally check in at a bar with their phone. , If you find evidence to the contrary of what the person is saying, you can confront them.
However, if you want more information out of the person, you should only allude to the evidence, rather than addressing it directly.
If a person has direct evidence against them, they may not want to talk any more about it.For example, you could say, "Isn't it possible you hid the chocolate in the night stand?" when you've already gone and found the chocolate.
You can also use social media evidence the same way: "So, did you only go to the movie, or did you go anywhere else?" -
Step 3: Surprise the person.
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Step 4: Try a volatile conundrum.
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Step 5: Gather evidence.
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Step 6: Hold up your evidence for a confession.
Detailed Guide
When you suspect someone of something, tell the story how you think it happened.
Most people can't resist filling in details, despite the fact that the person won't confess or hasn't told the truth beforehand.For instance, you could say, "Here's what I think happened.
You saw there was only one milk chocolate bar left, and you wanted to save it for yourself, right? And then you decided to sneak it away to hide it in the night stand." You can even replace details you know to be true with lies, such as calling it a milk chocolate bar when it was actually dark, as the person will want to jump in to correct you.
This technique often elicits more of a response than direct questions.
Oftentimes, you can't determine a lie just from talking with a person.
However, you can use nonverbal cues to help point you in the right direction, so you know what to check up on to see if the person is lying.For example, if you're wondering if your spouse hid the last bar of chocolate, you could ask a series of questions to help lead to the answer, such as "If you had hid the chocolate, would you have hidden it in the night stand? Would you have hidden it in the refrigerator? Would you have hidden it in your purse?" If your spouse reacts to one of the questions, such as rubbing their eyes, that could indicate where the chocolate is hidden, though you should check up on it to make sure, not accuse your spouse of lying outright. , Sometimes catching the person off guard is enough to bring out a lie.
That is, the person has probably practiced what they were going to tell you, particularly if it's a big lie.
In that case, try asking questions that are surprising or startling, which can throw the liar off their rhythm, possibly catching them in a lie.For example, you could ask your spouse, "Did the chocolate have nuts in it?" That question may seem out of the blue, particularly if you're asking whether your spouse ate or hid the chocolate. , A volatile conundrum is in someways similar to catching the liar by surprise.
However, you can question a person using this technique without them knowing.
Basically, you're forcing them to answer a question that could catch them in a lie either way, and they have to think on their feet to answer the question.For example, if your spouse is saying they didn't hide the last bit of chocolate, you could ask, "Well, that's funny, because I thought I saw a bar of it last night." The key here is you don't even have to be telling the truth.
The other person doesn't know if you are or not.
If they're telling the truth, then they'll likely reply quickly with something like, "Silly, we finished that box last week." If they're lying, they're more likely to say something like, "Oh, um, yeah, I'm not sure what you're talking about," or "Um, no, I don't think there was." If you think the person is telling the truth, you can play it off as a mistake, such as, "Oh, I guess I forgot I ate the last one a week ago.
So, what's for dinner?" A redirect after the question can help move the conversation onward. , Once you've figured out a direction to investigate, you can gather evidence.
Check up on the lead you figured out.
For instance, if you suspect you know where your spouse hid the chocolate, you can go and check that location.In another example, you could check a car's history if you suspect a salesperson is lying to you about it.
One way to gather evidence is to use social media.
Sometimes, a person may contradict themselves by posting on social media.
For instance, they may tell you they are going out with friends to movie, but they might accidentally check in at a bar with their phone. , If you find evidence to the contrary of what the person is saying, you can confront them.
However, if you want more information out of the person, you should only allude to the evidence, rather than addressing it directly.
If a person has direct evidence against them, they may not want to talk any more about it.For example, you could say, "Isn't it possible you hid the chocolate in the night stand?" when you've already gone and found the chocolate.
You can also use social media evidence the same way: "So, did you only go to the movie, or did you go anywhere else?"
About the Author
Samuel Freeman
Writer and educator with a focus on practical cooking knowledge.
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