7 Clues To Tell Your Spouse Is Lying

1. Is her face giving it away?
You may think a smile can easily disguise your true feelings,
but the expressions that flash across a liar’s face will give
away what she’s really thinking—whether she knows it or not.
Experts advise paying close attention to hard-to-hide micro-
expressions; these clues are often so difficult to detect that
even trained experts have trouble discerning them. But you
may be able to spot a liar by the red color on her cheeks,
since anxiety can cause people to blush. Other indicators of
lying? Flared nostrils, lip nibbling, deep breathing, and rapid
blinking, which hint that the brain is working overtime.
2. Does the body language follow the story?
It’s more important to examine a person’s entire demeanor,
as there’s no one feature that’s apt to give away a liar.
Honesty is characterized by features that are in sync with one
another—so besides posture, note the fit between face, body,
voice, and speech. Like an animal avoiding detection, a liar
may pull his arms and legs inward or keep his movements to
a minimum—anything to appear smaller. Liars often shove
their hands behind their back because those fidgety digits
might give them away.
3. How is the person smiling?
A smile can sometimes mask a person’s true feelings. Pay
close attention to how a person smiles as well as other facial
movements. You may be able to detect the emotions he or
she is trying to hide—such as fear, anger, and disgust. A true
smile will incorporate both a person’s lips and eyes.
4. How is the person speaking?
Although a change in voice can be the tip-off to spot a liar,
experts say that to be sure, you should also pay attention to a
person’s speech rate and breathing pattern—if either speeds
up or slows down, chances are you’re not hearing the whole
truth.
5. What is the person saying?
Liars tend to avoid exclusionary words like “but,” “nor,”
“except,” and “whereas,” because they have trouble with
complex thought processes. Also, they are less likely to use
the words “I,” “me,” and “mine.” In their attempts to distance
themselves psychologically from their tall tales, liars will tend
to communicate using fewer personal pronouns.
6. Is your subject behaving uncharacteristically?
Experts believe changes in a person’s baseline—how she
generally conducts herself—are worthy of your attention. You
should weigh rate of speech, tone of voice, posture, and hand
gestures against what you know, along with the context of the
situation. When your husband says “I loved the tie you bought
me” while he’s wearing a tight smile that doesn’t reach his
eyes, expect to see him in a turtleneck.
7. Is the question simple or embarrassing?
It’s normal for someone to look away when asked a difficult
question. But when someone avoids your gaze when asked a
simple question, you should be suspicious.