QDXA.COM - The Pinocchio Files

It was just before dawn on Thursday, May 4, when Congressman Patrick Kennedys car crashed into a security barricade on Capital Hill. In his statement the Congressman claimed, I consumed no alcohol prior to the incident. Do you think he was telling the truth? Is there more to the story or do we truly have all the facts? You be the decider!

Whether it's to avoid punishment, to escape embarrassment, get re-elected, or to justify the unjustifiable, it seems that almost all politicians lie; it's how the game is played. Typically, its their body language that gives them away. Richard Nixon blinked quickly. Jimmy Carter flashed a fake smile. Bill Clinton nodded his head yes, while verbally stating he did not have sexual relations with that woman...

In todays multi-media universe, politicians must watch their body language because how they say what they say may send the wrong signal. And believe me, your constituents are watching with a keen eye! As a matter of fact, so many people take pleasure in spotting politicians as they perjure themselves that my classes on Detecting Deception are sold out months in advance. This article will provide you with top-secret tips used by law enforcement officials, polygraph examiners and psychologists to help you confidently search for the truth.

Always remember, there is not one phrase or word or action that indicates that someone is lying.

The person must feel like they have something to lose, i.e. their re-election, spouse & family, or their freedom, etc

You must get a baseline on the persons normal behavior; the experts call this norming. Observe the persons mannerisms, voice tone & pitch, posture & stance, and eye contact during the rapport building process.

Next, look for clusters of signs or signals that indicate possible deception. One indicator can occur by chance, but more than one and you have yourself a hot spot.

Finally, when you notice a hot spot do not assume the person is lying, instead ask further questions, such as, Maybe I am wrong here, but in the last couple of seconds it seems like something is upsetting you. Is there something you are not telling me?

Pitch change: The pitch of someone's voice is often a very good indicator of their emotional state. When the pitch goes up it masks fear or anger, while a decrease in the pitch masks sadness.The story does not make sense

Increase in self-touch gestures (one part of your body rubbing another part of your body, i.e. hand rubbing leg, nose, neck, arm, belly, etc.). The person rubs their respective body part as a way to soothe their anxiety.

Soft words -- At the start of her celebrity trial, Martha Stewart softly told the judge she was "not guilty" of the charges and then quietly watched as her lawyers did all the talking for six weeks.

Disclaimers. Liars are more likely to use disclaimers such as 'You won't believe this', 'I know this sounds strange, but' and 'Let me assure you'. Disclaimers like these are designed to acknowledge any suspicion the other person may feel in order to discount it.

Answers questions too quickly (has lie rehearsed) Ask the person to tell you the story backwards Liars cannot tell the story backwards.

Excessive Gesturing -- If you lie spontaneously in the moment you will tend to spend more time gesturing with your hands than someone who is just nervous.

Individual idiosyncrasies the person may have will appear (i.e. licking their lips, winking, drinking from a bottle, scratching their head, etc. . .)

Pauses. Liars also produce more pauses between their words and sentences and some of these pauses are filled with stalling techniques like, 'um' and 'er', or they will repeat the question

Very, very fast facial expressions that do not fit with what the person is saying (this is called leakage)

Actions lack conviction and faith -- Listening to OJs testimony about the location of his knit cap, he adamantly protested what he knew to be false. Then listening to testimony accusing him of the murder of his wife, OJ showed no visible protest and remained completely motionless in his seat.

Avoid the question: When Michael was asked, Did you molest this child? He answered with, I would never hurt a child.

False starts, where the person starts a sentence and then abandons it for another sentence.

Slip of the tongue -- Muhammad: "You can lock a man up and forget he's there and go out and say every negative thing in the world you can possibly say about him based on a guess; and ironically about all this, once all this is over, by the grace of the law that I am found guilty, not guilty, these men, you know what they are going to do?"

Of course, there's no foolproof way to detect deception. Some people are masters at covering themselves up, especially if they are naturally emotionally flat or have practiced their lying skills over many years (do certain political leaders come to mind?). But if you follow the rules (norm the person, look for clusters of verbal responses that do not match their body language, and ask follow questions to hot spots), you will be well on your way to separating fact from fiction!

Janine Driver, Lyin Tamer (lyintamer.com) is a body language & detecting deception expert, author, speaker, and radio personality. Janine offers her signature training to political advisors, law enforcement officials, attorneys, judges, and professionals in the medical and sales industries. For your free mini-course on Body Language Business Bloopers Successful People Avoid at All Costs visit http://www.lyintamer.com right now!

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