Let's go through the main stages of detecting lies. What gestures can still reveal a person who has told a lie?In most cases, it is possible to recognize a lie quite well and accurately by gestures of touching the hands to the face.

When a person tries to deceive, or hears someone else lying, he unconsciously tries to cover his mouth, eyes and ears with his hands. The most obvious examples can be seen by observing novice liars - children. They do not yet realize how important it is to ensure that their lies are not discovered and do not attach much importance to their gestures. Hastily covering your mouth with both hands after telling a lie is one of the most common actions of young children. On the other hand, demonstrative closing of the ears can be seen in children whose parents often lecture them. The main mistake of parents is not keeping their promises, telling children that they are simply being deceived, which means they should not listen to lies, and the gesture of covering their ears with their hands is perfect for this. If a child does not want to look at something, he covers his eyes with his hands, although in some cases this is inappropriate and undignified. Children realize late that sincerity can somehow harm them or offend others. Therefore, with growing up, obvious gestures become more secretive in nature, and finding even hints of such gestures in skilled liars becomes quite a difficult task. Before you begin to consider gestures with which you can identify a liar, it is necessary to clarify that the information is valid in two directions, that is, if a person listens to another person lying and at the same time covers his mouth, this can serve as clear evidence of his distrust of the interlocutor’s words.

1 gesture - Covering your mouth with your hand

The most dangerous picture for a person speaking in front of an audience is that all his listeners have their hands to their mouths. You can get out of the situation by asking the listeners about their objections, but this method is suitable if you are confident in the reliability of the information or can answer questions in such a way as to restore confidence in yourself.

An attempt to cover your mouth with your hand in a conversation with one to three people will be less expressive than in the previous case. The hand at the mouth of your interlocutors will last no more than a couple of seconds. It is possible to say with certainty that this is a lie only based on the context; in addition to a lie, this gesture may indicate doubt, uncertainty or exaggeration of real facts.

Figure 1. Covering your mouth with your hand.

2nd gesture - Protect your mouth with your hand.

This gesture differs from the previous one in its greater expressiveness. The hand covers the mouth while the thumb is pressed to the cheek. In this case, the duration of the gesture can be quite long or even from the beginning to the end of the conversation. Variations in gestures can indicate how much the listener does not trust his interlocutor. Depending on the position of the hand - for example, a fist completely covering the mouth, the gesture may indicate that the liar has completely failed, or that his speech is not at all what the interlocutor was expecting. Inappropriate coughing while covering your mouth with your fist may indicate an attempt to hide the gesture in question.

Figure 2 - Protecting the mouth with your hand

3rd gesture - touching the nose.

A gesture that everyone has heard about and often interprets as a clear sign of deception. But it's not that simple. First, it is worth saying that as such, touching the nose while deceiving (or listening to an obvious lie) will be subtle (unlike simply scratching the nose). Secondly, touching the nose itself, while lying, is a disguise of the two previous gestures. Thirdly, it will be much more difficult to expose a woman in a lie, since women make this movement much more carefully, so as not to smear their lipstick. And fourthly, in addition to lying, this gesture can be made when negative thoughts appear. That is, the person is not necessarily deceiving; maybe the news he is talking about is not desirable for him and he does not want to report it. Therefore, we remind you again - do not forget about the context.

Figure 3. Touching the nose.

Gesture 4 - Rubbing the eyelid.

The desire to hide and distance oneself from deception leads to the appearance of this gesture. By the way, just like the desire not to look into the eyes of a person who is being told a lie. The gesture is quite obvious, but sometimes it can be difficult to notice. Again, the difference in the performance of this gesture by a man and a woman is evident. Women are again saved by makeup; to preserve it, the gesture is transformed into a careful providence of a finger under the eye, although at the same time they will have to sharply turn their gaze upward. It is easier to catch a man; if the lie is very serious, then the excitement will force him to vigorously rub his eyelid, while his gaze will be directed either to the side or to the floor.

Figure 4. Rubbing the eyelid with a finger.

5 gesture - Gritted teeth

Probably not quite a gesture, but rather a technique to “play to the public.” Speaking through clenched teeth is the main technique of actors that helps to show the insincerity of their characters. For example, when cops in films arrest criminals, they don’t very politely read them their rights.

Gesture 6 - Scratching and rubbing the ear.

At the beginning of the article, we gave an example of children who do not listen to their parents’ lectures. As a person grows up, he hides this gesture much better without causing discontent among others. Almost any prolonged touch to the ear can indicate a lie, or a lack of desire to listen to the interlocutor; in addition, a person can give such a signal when he simply wants to voice his opinion.

Gesture 7 - Scratching the neck.

Scratching the side of the neck or the area under the earlobe with the index finger of the right hand (much more often the right rather than the left) is a fairly obvious gesture. This is essentially a continuation of the previous gesture if a person has poor knowledge of body language and does not have time to track such an obvious gesture that betrays him. Nevertheless, having seen such a movement, you can almost certainly say that the interlocutor does not agree with your words or with his own. Interesting fact - usually the number of scratches is 5.

Figure 6. Scratching the neck.

Gesture 8 - Pulling the collar.

Most of the gestures in the article are due to the fact that lying causes an itching sensation in the facial muscles, as well as in the muscle tissues of the neck, requiring scratching to relieve the unpleasant sensation. During deception, when the liar is wearing a shirt, scratching his neck openly will not work, but you can fidget with the collar or simply simply pull it back. In addition, cold air allows you to get rid of beads of sweat (they also indicate possible anxiety due to deception). The gesture can also be seen when a person is upset or angry. To completely confuse the situation when you see this gesture from a person after some statement, you can ask him to repeat it.

Figure 7. Pulling the collar.

Gesture 9 - Fingers in mouth.

That carefree time when the child suckled at the breast of matter and was not bothered by any problems is irrevocably gone. Imperceptibly biting your finger or fist, putting a cigarette or pen in your mouth is all an attempt to return to that distant state of security. This gesture is not particularly suitable for detecting deception, but it speaks of obvious uncertainty.

IF YOU ARE INSINCERLY :

Gestures that betray insincerity
largely associated with the left hand.

This is explained by the fact that the right hand, being more developed (in most people), is more controlled by consciousness and does it “as it should.”

The left, less developed and controlled by the right hemisphere of the brain, does what the subconscious wants, thereby revealing the person’s secret thoughts.

If the interlocutor is gesturing with his left hand, then this should alert you: it is very likely that he is deceiving or taking an unfriendly position.!!!

One of the most famous gestures to indicate insincerity is rubbing the eye or the area under it.

It is known that when lying, men tend to look away and rub their eyes, and women tend to lightly touch their eyes and rub the area under the eye.

This gesture can be combined with clenched teeth and a fake smile.

You are perceived as outside aggression

Hair language: self-defense gestures

There are two large groups of gestures related to hair. Some have to do with sexuality, others represent a desire to protect themselves from outside aggression. But both of them are ultimately manifestations of weakness and fear of the outside world.

As psychologist Desmond Morris explains, "Every time we touch our hair, we do so because we are unable to touch another person's hair; we connect with our own body because moments of such 'self-intimacy' bring comfort comparable to pleasure." from contact with a “strange” body... According to cultural stereotypes, this position is typical for a female type of behavior, but not for a male one.

The deep ambiguity of such a gesture is obvious, especially if it is performed by a man... However, it is also dangerous for ladies, since it looks like an open hint of sexual dissatisfaction.

Another group of gestures is no longer self-excitation, but self-defense. Even one-year-old children often make their parents laugh because, having heard the words “you’re good,” they begin to pat themselves on the head: they are well familiar with this “encouraging” gesture, because they actually absorb the understanding of it with their mother’s milk.

For many mammals, stroking a “relative” or a child’s fur is the most understandable sign of expressing a good attitude and family feelings. And it is precisely these “natural” gestures that we imitate when we stroke the fur of domestic animals, thereby showing a tender, “fatherly” attitude towards a cat or dog.

Carefully! a decision is made!

Decision gesture

This "chin-stroking" gesture means that a person is trying to make a decision.

The following signals will indicate whether their decision will be positive or negative.

You would be unwise to interrupt a person when he starts stroking his chin in response to a request for his decision.

If, for example, after rubbing your chin, a person crosses his arms over his chest and crosses his legs, then leans back in his chair, then you have received a nonverbal negative response.

You should immediately go over the merits of what is being offered again before the person expresses his negative attitude in words.

If stroking your chin is followed by a gesture of readiness for action, it means your idea has been fully approved.

You have a strong personality

Hands behind your head - know-it-all gesture

This gesture, placing hands behind the head, is typical of confident people with a sense of superiority over others: If we could read their thoughts, we would read: “I know everything” or even “I am in control of the situation.”

It can also be used as a territorial sign, with which a person emphasizes that he has “staken out” that territory.

If you want to find out the reason why a person behaves with a sense of superiority, lean forward with outstretched palms and say: “I see that you know this. Could you comment on this problem?” Then lean back in your chair, leave your palms in your field of view and wait for an answer.

Another way is to force the person to change his posture, which in turn will cause a change in his attitude. To do this, you can take an object and, placing it at a large distance from him, ask: “Did you see that?”, forcing him to lean forward.

If a person in a “hands behind your head” pose makes you a reprimand or reprimands you, you should not copy his gesture so as not to anger you. For example, two lawyers use this gesture in front of each other to emphasize their equality and coordination, but a rowdy boy will anger the school principal if he puts his hands behind his head in his office.

The situation is under control

Putting your hands behind your back

It has been observed that many male members of the British Royal Family have the habit of walking with their heads held high, their chins jutted out, and their hands clasped behind their backs.

In everyday life, this gesture is used by a police officer on duty, a local school principal passing through a schoolyard, senior military officials and people in responsible positions.

Therefore, it is considered a gesture of a confident person with a sense of superiority over others. It allows a person to open his vulnerable areas of the body, such as the stomach, heart, throat, with unconscious fearlessness.

Be careful

Gesture of trust and protection

Gesture of trust: "dome"- fingers connect like the dome of a temple.

This gesture signifies trust in the relationship, but also some complacency, confidence in one’s infallibility, selfishness or pride.

This gesture immediately communicates that the person is absolutely confident in what he is saying. Sherlock Holmes and Nero Wolf, explaining the course of “elementary” conclusions to their gullible biographers, usually took such a pose in order to strengthen the attitude of absolute trust in themselves.

Observations of executives confirm that the higher their rank, the higher they usually hold their hands. Sometimes they just look at you through their joined fingers. This is a very common gesture in boss-subordinate relationships.

This gesture is also used as an unconscious defense by a person “driven into a corner.” Almost always, his opponents began to treat him as if he knew more than he said, had some important arguments in reserve, and weakened the attack.

In addition to the well-known method of communication - speech, there is another one that says much more about a person and his attitude towards you. This is sign language. Nonverbal communication makes up up to 80% of our communications, and for this reason alone you need to know at least a little what they are - gestures, how to interpret them. Today we will talk about lying: how to recognize a lie, how to lie more believably.

Protecting the Mouth with the Hand

Protecting your mouth with your hand is one of the few gestures of an adult and has the same meaning as a child's gesture. The hand covers the mouth and the thumb is pressed to the cheek, while the brain at the subconscious level sends signals to restrain the words spoken. Sometimes it may only be a few fingers near the mouth or even a fist, but the meaning of the gesture remains the same. The hand-over-the-mouth gesture should be distinguished from the evaluative gestures discussed later in this chapter. Some people try to fake cough to disguise the gesture. Humphrey Bogart, when playing the role of a gangster or criminal, often used this technique when discussing his criminal plans with other gangsters or during interrogation, to use non-verbal means to emphasize the lack of sincerity in his character.

Touching the Nose

In essence, touching the nose is a subtle, disguised version of the previous gesture. It can be expressed in several light touches to the dimple under the nose, or it can be expressed in one quick, almost imperceptible touch. Some women perform this gesture very carefully so as not to smear their lipstick and damage their makeup. One explanation for the nature of this gesture is that when bad thoughts enter the conscious mind, the subconscious mind tells the hand to cover the mouth, but at the very last moment, out of a desire to disguise this gesture, the hand is pulled away from the mouth, and the result is

Rubbing the Century

The wise monkey says, “I see no sin,” closing his eyes. This gesture is caused by the brain's desire to escape from the deception, suspicion, or lie it encounters, or the desire to avoid looking into the eyes of the person to whom it is telling a lie. Men usually rub their eyelid in a very vigorous manner, and if the lie is very serious, they turn their gaze to the side, usually to the floor. Women perform this movement very delicately by running their finger under the eye. This can be caused by two reasons: due to their upbringing, they are not familiar with rude gestures; the caution of movements is explained by the presence of makeup on the eyelids. Averting their eyes to the side, they look at the ceiling. The expression “Lie through your teeth” is well known. This expression refers to a complex of gestures consisting of clenched teeth and a tight smile, rubbing the eyelid with a finger and looking away to the side. Film actors use this complex gesture to portray the insincerity of their characters, but in everyday life this gesture is rare.

Scratching and Rubbing the Ear

In fact, this gesture is caused by the desire of the listener to isolate himself from the words by placing his hand near or on top of his ear. This gesture is an adult improved modification of the gesture of a small child when he covers his ears so as not to listen to the reproaches of his parents. Other options for touching the ear include rubbing the pinna, drilling into the ear (with a fingertip), tugging on the earlobe, or bending the ear in an attempt to cover the ear hole. This last gesture suggests that the person has heard enough and perhaps wants to speak out.

Collar Pull

In a study of people's gestures that accompany their lies, Desmond Morris observed that lying produced an itching sensation in the delicate muscle tissues of the face and neck, requiring scratching to soothe the sensation. This seems to be an acceptable explanation for why some people pull back their collar when they are lying and suspect that their deception has been discovered. The cheater also appears to have beads of sweat on his neck when he senses that you suspect he's cheating. This gesture is also used when a person is angry or upset, pulling the collar away from the neck to cool it with fresh air. When you see a person making this gesture, you can ask him, “Could you repeat that, sir?” or “Could you please clarify this point, sir?” And this will make the deceiver refuse to continue his cunning game.

Fingers in Mouth

Morris gives the following explanation for this gesture: a person puts his fingers in his mouth in a state of strong oppression. This is a person's unconscious attempt to return to that safe, cloudless time in infancy when the child suckled at his mother's breast. A small child sucks his finger, but as for an adult, in addition to his finger, he puts objects such as cigarettes, pipes, pens and the like into his mouth. If gestures associated with covering the mouth with one's hand indicate deception, fingers in the mouth indicate an internal need for approval and support. Therefore, when this gesture appears, it is necessary to support the person or reassure him with guarantees.

Chin support

When the index finger is pointed vertically towards the temple and the thumb supports the chin, it indicates that one is having negative thoughts. the listener has a negative or critical attitude towards the speaker or the subject of his message. Often, the index finger may rub or pull on the eyelid as negative thoughts thicken. The longer a person maintains these gestures, the longer his critical attitude will remain. This gesture is a signal that the speaker urgently needs to do something, or try to captivate the listener with the content of his message, or wrap up his speech. A simple way is to give him something to support and thereby change his posture. The gesture of critical evaluation is often confused with a signal of interest, but with a critical attitude there will definitely be a propping of the chin with the thumb.

How to determine a man's character from the first meeting? You need to carefully monitor his gestures. Scientists have argued for decades about whether it is possible to judge character by gestures, but today it is known for sure that it is possible.

Manipulating one's own appearance

First of all, involuntary gestures reveal the attitude of a man towards a woman. If a girl is pleasant, a representative of the brutal half of humanity begins to perform various (often unnoticeable) manipulations with her appearance. Someone will smooth their hair, someone will adjust their shirt or belt, or touch their own hair or parts of clothing. The young man seems to be signaling that he liked the girl and is ready to look his best for her.

When a man meets a young lady who fully corresponds to his erotic ideals, his skin sensitivity greatly increases, and touches bring pleasure. Therefore, the partner begins to rub his eyes, forehead or chin, and touch his cheeks.

However, if the interlocutor not only touches his clothes or face, but tries to shake off invisible specks of dust, clenches and unclenches his fists, wipes his hands, bites his lips, this indicates that at the moment the fellow is at least insincere. Most often, young men who lie behave this way.

If a guy holds a girl's hand

If a man values ​​his girlfriend, values ​​her, and is afraid of losing her, then this is clearly noticeable in the way he strives to touch the girl while walking. He can hold her hand, put his hand on her shoulder or back. Some consider such a display of feelings to be bad manners. However, it is precisely such gestures that indicate the gentleman’s sincere attitude towards his passion.

The desire to protect the lady, to protect her, is manifested in such gestures as an attempt to cover her with a blanket or cover her with an umbrella from the rain. But if a guy gives his sweater or jacket to his girlfriend, this says more. The young man makes it clear that this girl belongs to him, that he is ready to share everything he has with her. That's why seeing someone else's jacket on a friend's shoulders causes disappointment or anger in most men.

Other male gestures

A man’s sexual desire and potency can be evidenced by the position a guy takes when talking to his partner. If the legs are slightly apart, and the fingers are inserted into the belt or into the pockets, the thumbs are at a right angle, it means that the male, which is in every representative of the stronger sex, is self-confident and physically ready for further, closer contacts. With his hands, he unconsciously emphasizes his brutality, manhood, and sexual reserves. In addition, some psychologists are sure that this is how a man unconsciously points out those places that need affection. Such gestures are characteristic of the stronger sex not only when talking with the fairer sex, but also in dreams.

If a man holds his thumbs behind his belt, this, on the contrary, indicates that the feminine principle in him predominates over the masculine. Such young people are often nervous, insecure, romantic and weak.

If a gentleman experiences sexual attraction to his partner, he begins to play with round objects. This could be a glass that he rolls from hand to hand, or other objects that are subconsciously associated with female roundness.

Some men like to sit with their chin resting on their bent fist. This pose testifies to the brutality of the male, the dominant role of the phallic principle in his life.

If the young man props his chin with only two fingers, this means that the gesture contains a subtle (and unconscious) allusion to the female genital organ. Perhaps at this moment he is imagining an intimate continuation of the date.

The interlocutor demonstrates his subconscious disagreement or wariness by propping his head with one finger.

Clasped hands indicate self-doubt. Thus, the guy, as it were, encourages himself, subconsciously convincing him of the unity of the masculine and feminine principles (Yin-Yang).

Crossed arms with fingers hidden in the armpits are characteristic only of those guys who feel their complete superiority over others. This gesture indicates that the subject is closed to communication.

Despite the fact that smoking is undoubtedly a harmful habit, watching a man smoke is very interesting.

If he holds a cigarette with two fingers in the middle of his mouth, lifting its tip up, then there is a lot of childishness in the young man’s character. They seem to suck on a cigarette like a baby sucks on a pacifier, which most often indicates infantility and capriciousness.

A strong, confident man smokes decisively, holding the cigarette briefly in the corner of his mouth.

Some poorly educated males who are not popular with women are characterized by various “picking habits.” During a conversation, such subjects may pick their nose or ear, put a finger in their mouth, or scratch their private parts. More educated people make such gestures in private. In both cases, the gestures indicate that dissatisfied individuals are constantly preoccupied with thoughts about intercourse. Perhaps this is why in almost all countries such gestures are considered vulgar and are not welcomed in society.

A person's facial expressions perfectly reveal deception. We may try to hide our true feelings behind a fake smile or a deadpan tone of speech, but involuntary movements reveal true emotions that we do not want to show. Knowing about the “secret” muscles will be your advantage when communicating with other people.

Covers mouth with hand

This is one of those gestures that an adult has retained since childhood. A small child, whom his parents have caught in a lie, very often, instinctively brings both hands to his mouth and firmly clamps his mouth with them. A signal goes off in your head - to prevent bad words from escaping or to find an excuse: “I didn’t say that!” We often carry this habit throughout our lives. An adult deceiver can tightly cover his mouth with his hand or just raise a few fingers to his lips. These movements indicate that the person is telling a lie. But if the interlocutor covers his mouth with his hand when you speak, he clearly suspects you of lying.

Touches your nose

Continuation of the previous maneuver: at the last moment, pull yourself up and, instead of your mouth, lightly touch the tip of your nose. Or maybe it's Pinocchio syndrome, which was used to bully a boy or girl in childhood?

Rubs the eyelid

If you think that at the moment of repentance, a man rubs his eyes, trying to hold back tears, you are mistaken. He blatantly lies about where he spent last night. And this movement reveals him as a deceiver. The explanation for this is quite simple: our cunning ally, the brain, is trying to evade responsibility and avoid the searching gaze of our interlocutor, hence the reflex - we automatically begin to rub our eyelid. Another physiological explanation: liars have constricted pupils, and the body automatically wants to hide this from strangers.

Looks away

Many scientists say: if you want to understand whether someone is lying to you, you need to focus on the upper part of the face, namely, the eyes, eyebrows and forehead of your opponent. As a rule, the interlocutor’s gaze is very “eloquent.” By the way, if during a conversation a person alternately looks at you and then turns his eyes to the side, this does not mean at all that he is lying. Perhaps he simply cannot develop his thought and observe what is happening at the same time. Estimate how long this lasts. If he doesn't look at you for at least half the time of the dialogue, this is an unkind sign and you should start doubting his sincerity. As a rule, if the gaze is directed downward, this means that a person is experiencing sadness, to the side - disgust, down and to the side - guilt and shame.

Rolls his eyes

Eyes are the mirror of the soul. Another confirmation of this is the movements of the eyeballs during a conversation. It is practically beyond conscious control. Before trying to determine by the eyes whether a partner is lying or not, it would be nice to know his usual manner of behavior when communicating. To begin with, you can arrange a simple check. Ask him a neutral question, which he will probably answer without guile. Let's say what did he have for breakfast today? When you understand where the person is looking when speaking the truth, move on to the topic that interests you. If, when answering a simple question, the interlocutor looked up and to the left (reproducing the answer from memory), and when answering a question you were interested in, he looked up and to the right, then this is a possible sign that you did not hear the truth.

Blinks frequently

Typically, any person blinks at a frequency of 6–8 times per minute, which does not cause any unpleasant sensations among interlocutors. If we try to hide our thoughts and feelings from others, we begin to blink more often. This is an involuntary reaction that always accompanies any emotional excitement.

Relaxes the shirt collar

An absolutely cinematic sketch: a lump in the throat and an unbuttoned shirt collar. Scientists have found that any person, and especially a man, feels a lie on a physical level. It causes itching and discomfort in the facial muscles, and we automatically try to scratch the disturbing area to calm the nerves. Most often this happens in a situation where the liar is inexperienced and is sure that his deception will quickly be seen through. Another treacherous reaction of the body is that it “throws into a fever.” The deceiver has beads of sweat on his neck when he senses that you suspect something is wrong. Stay alert. The same gesture can also indicate approaching aggression. When the interlocutor is very annoyed with something and at the same time pulls the collar away from the neck to cool it with fresh air and suppress anger. Look at the situation.

Scratching his ear

Another itchy clue is rubbing the earlobe, flexing the earlobe, or lightly scratching. This is what people do involuntarily, who are forced to tell a lie, but it does not give them any pleasure. This is a modification of the gesture of a small child who covers his ears so as not to listen to the reproaches of his parents.

Holds fingers or objects in mouth

Yes, we agree, it sounds strange, but it looks ridiculous. However, this is one of the stupid habits of people who lie from time to time. There is an opinion that this is our attempt to return to the cloudless time of infancy, when children often suck their fingers to calm down. Already in adulthood, the role of “fingers” can be played by objects: cigarettes, pens, eyeglasses... A liar desperately needs support.

Game with points

People who wear glasses often use them to hide their true thoughts and emotions. There are plenty of options to avoid an unwanted conversation. You can twirl the glasses in your hands, wipe the glasses with a cloth, breathe on the lenses, put them in a case, search for a long time in your purse, etc. It is better not to ask a man or girlfriend to answer an important question for you with all directness if you see that the person has begun to do manipulations with glasses - he is clearly avoiding an answer that takes him time to think about. As soon as this item is left alone, take the initiative into your own hands. The interlocutor appreciated your tact.

Facial asymmetry

When a friend is happy that you are getting married/pregnant/bought a fur coat/met Brad Pitt, look how symmetrically the joy is reflected on her face. In particular, disgust, fear and anger are more noticeable on the right side of the face, while joy is more noticeable on the left. But for left-handed people the opposite is true. If it seems to you that your friend’s face has become asymmetrical, the emotions are insincere.