We cannot always understand what is true and what is false. But they are able to find out whether we are a liar or an honest person. Real “masters of deceit” compose according to the rules, and knowing them, we will be able to figure out the liar.
Unfortunately, we do not always understand when we are being lied to and when we are not. According to research, we only recognize lies 54% of the time. So, sometimes it’s easier to flip a coin instead of racking your brains. But, although it is difficult for us to detect a lie, we can try to recognize whether a liar is in front of us.
Sometimes we lie to soften the situation or not to hurt the feelings of loved ones. But real masters of lies turn lies into art, lie with or without reason, and do not just compose, but do it according to the rules. If we also know them, we will be able to expose the one who is dishonest with us. And make a choice: trust or not trust everything he says.
Psychologists from the universities of Portsmouth (UK) and Maastricht (Netherlands) conducted a study, the results of which will help us detect a liar.
194 volunteers (97 women, 95 men and 2 participants who chose to hide their gender) told the scientists exactly how they lie and whether they consider themselves to be gurus of deception or, conversely, do not rate their skills highly. A legitimate question arises: can we trust those who participated in the survey? Did they lie?
The authors of the study claim that they not only interviewed volunteers, but also took into account data related to their behavior and other variables. In addition, the participants were guaranteed anonymity and impartiality, and they had no reason to lie to those who interviewed them. So what patterns did the study reveal?
1. Lies mostly come from someone who is used to lying. Most of us tell the truth most of the time. The lie comes from a small number of “experts in deception.” To confirm this fact, psychologists refer to a 2010 study involving 1000 volunteers. His results showed that half of the false information came from only 5% of the liars.
2. People with high self-esteem lie more often. According to the results of the study, those who rate themselves more highly lie much more often than others. They also think they are good at lying.
3. Good liars tend to lie about little things. “Specialists in the field of deception” not only lie more often, but also choose small reasons for lying. They like such lies more than lies, which can lead to serious consequences. If a liar is sure that “retribution” will not overtake him, he lies often and on trifles.
4. Good liars prefer to lie to our face. Researchers have found that professional liars prefer to deceive others in person rather than through messages, calls, or email. Perhaps their strategies work best when they are close to the person they are lying to. In addition, we expect that the risk of being lied to is somewhat higher on the Web – and the liars-pros know this.
5. Liars spice up lies with a grain of truth. A person who lies often usually likes to talk in general. Skillful deceivers often combine truth and lies in their stories, embellishing stories with facts that were really present in their lives. Most often, we are talking about some recent or recurring events and experiences.
6. Liars love simplicity. We are more likely to believe in a story that does not contain ambiguities. Someone who is adept at lying will not overload their deception with many details. The truth can be both discouraging and illogical, but lies are usually clear and precise.
7. Good liars come up with believable stories. Credibility is a great disguise for lies. And before you is exactly a master of his craft, if you easily believe him, but you do not have the opportunity to verify the facts that the narrator mentions.
8. Gender matters. The results of the study showed that “men are twice as likely as women to believe that they are able to lie skillfully and without consequences.” Among those volunteers who reported that they did not consider themselves skillful deceivers, 70% were women. And among those who described themselves as masters of lies, 62% are men.
9. What are we to a liar? Psychologists have found that those who consider themselves to be professionals in lies are more likely to deceive colleagues, friends and partners. At the same time, they try not to lie to family members, employers and those who are authority for them. Those who believe that they cannot lie are more likely to deceive strangers and casual acquaintances.