How to Spot a Liar

If you suspected a friend were lying to you, what would you do to confirm your suspicions? Most of us would listen more carefully to what the person says, and try to «catch» him or her saying a slip or something contradictory. Most liars are experienced—they’ve been practicing for a long time. They are very careful about what they say; therefore, they seldom make a slip. To spot a liar stop paying attention to what is said. Instead, pay attention to the person’s voice, face, and body.

How a person speaks reveals more than what he or she says. While choice of words is easy to control, the voice often betrays one’s emotions. Because areas of the brain involved with emotion control the voice, the voice tends to reveal emotion. When a person lies, the voice tends to be higher pitched and the rate of speech tends to slow down.

Even more revealing than voice is a person’s face. The face is the primary place we display emotions. We use different facial expressions to convey fear, anger, happiness, or guilt. Facial expressions are harder to fake than words because you can rehearse or practice what you will say, but you cannot practice how you will feel. Liars tend to make exaggerated expressions—a smile that is drawn out too long or a frown that is too severe. Eyes are especially revealing. Liars’ eyes lack the genuine, warm twinkle when they smile, and they make less eye contact with the other person.

The body is the most revealing of all. While many liars try to control their voice and face, many do not know that their body has its own language. Posture and gestures reveal a person’s feelings. Liars tend to make less enthusiastic gestures. At times, the gesture may not fit with what is being said. Liars tend to hold themselves at a greater distance from other people. They also have a less relaxed body position. You may notice, too, nervous behaviors such as twisting a ring or toying with a button.

Spotting a liar is never easy, but you will have the most success if you watch rather than listen. As we all know, actions are more important than words. (Desmond Morris. «Nonverbal Leakage: How You Can Tell if Someone is Lying.» Manwatching. New York: Abrams, 1977.)

Notice that this essay is factual. The author does not include opinions about or personal experience with liars. The introductory paragraph interests the reader by posing a hypothetical question. The next sentence tells us that what we frequently assume is wrong and explains why. The last sentence states the author’s thesis. The next three paragraphs explain how voice, face, and body can be used to spot liars. The concluding paragraph restates the thesis in more general terms and ends with a widely accepted expression.

<== попередня сторінка	\|	наступна сторінка ==>
Exposition: Explaining the Meaning or the Purpose	\|	Narration: What’s in a Story?

Не знайшли потрібну інформацію? Скористайтесь пошуком google:

Генерація сторінки за: 0.004 сек.