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Topics: Real Life
Kya Buller
You're going to want to pay attention to this one.
Gone are the days of stewing in silence wondering if you’re being lied to.
An FBI-trained body language expert has all the answers you need and hopefully you’ll be able to spot a liar a mile off and steer clear for good.
Scott Taylor has a 30-year strong career in security, working for the FBI and… as lead investigator at Guantanamo Bay. Yes, you read that correctly.
The 51-year-old’s intense work history has given him the eyes of a hawk when it comes to spotting dodgy body language.
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According to Scott, there are a number of key signs to look out for. But the full list of behaviours to look out for is a whole lot longer...
When it comes to licking lips, we should be paying close attention.
Scott says: “‘When people lie we release cortisol, the stress hormone, and it dries out our mouth and slows down our saliva."
If you spot someone blinking more than usual, it could be a sign they're telling fibs.
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Scott told Femail: “We blink 12 to 14 blinks per minute, and people under stress and duress, their blink rate spikes.”
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Despite research in the past indicating the opposite, apparently people blink more straight after they've told the lie so it's worth looking out for after the suspected tall-tale.
Just like lip licking, because our stress hormone dries out our mouth, potential liars may swallow more obviously.
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Scott explains that behaviour like this can be subconscious, but it's one of the major signs to keep an eye out for.
Other behaviours that may reveal themselves include ‘touching along the lines of their face’ and protecting ‘power zones’ like the chin, stomach and groin.
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Scott warns that people may 'dip their chin or angle their body slightly away to remove your access to that ventral area'.
It’s also important to watch out for what kind of language a person is using.
Scott explains: “‘Truth tellers convey and liars convince, so you don’t need to say, 'I’m 100 percent definite' or 'certain' if you are definite or certain.
“These people are selling not telling, so they give you additional filler or additional eye contact because they think, 'I want to be more convincing'.”
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People may also switch to using ‘do not’ instead of ‘don't’, and attempt to get you to believe them by using assuming language such as ‘obviously’, while looking around the room trying to remember their story.
Priceless advice to keep in mind during your next intense chat...