Brian Clements introduces his readers to a book about short stories and poems which closely follows a detective in his line of work. What does Clements present to his readers’ lives with this literary collection of thrill and romanticism?

People interact with approximately 80,000 people in their lifetime. According to a study, 13% of this number identify as pathological liars. Being on the receiving end of a lie is one of the most hurtful experiences in one’s life. That moment when one realizes that they’ve been lied to leaves a bad taste in their mouth and a memory that will make them doubtful of others. Short to speak, being lied to is negatively life-changing. This is why people live with an active pattern of identifying and avoiding liars. One of the stories from author Brian Clements’ book about short stories and poems introduces the power of identifying a good liar to protect oneself. His story about detective Jack Donavon brings his readers to a thrilling adventure of stripping an attacker from their lies, sparking an interest in the craft of lifting the lid and exposing the truth to his readers.

Being as Observant as Detectives

Observing or “reading” a person through their body language helps determine whether they are being truthful or not. This skill can be invaluable when identifying which people pose a danger or may have malicious intent toward someone. While nobody can be perfectly fluent in reading someone, these points should help identify a lie.

Eyes as Windows to the Soul

If you wish to know if someone is lying, the eyes are one of the best indicators. It’s common knowledge that people avoid eye contact when they’re guilty of lying to the person they are talking to. In fact, it’s widespread knowledge that they can start to overcompensate and deliberately hold eye contact to convince the other person that they’re not lying. However, this overcompensation can be very unsettling and may instead lead to them breaking their façade. To know if they’re lying through their stare, one needs to stare back and recognize forceful eye contact from a genuine one.

Self-Pacifying Behaviors

A liar can exhibit unconscious behaviors to non-verbally convince others that their story is true or provide people comfort when they’re in uncomfortable situations. Some of these so-called self-pacifying behaviors are nodding, shrugging, or shaking their head, all done excessively or inappropriately. If you’re talking to someone sharing their side of a story, look for inconsistencies in their statements and gestures. You may also see if they may be making these gestures excessively as it’s a telltale sign that they’re unprepared or unsure of what they’re doing.

Defensiveness

In others, lying may be exhibited through slouching, a posture that unconsciously signifies shame. But in others, lying can be identified when they’re stiff or still in their seat, suggesting that they’re nervous and afraid of slipping up with their statement. When talking with someone, they can exhibit either, and it can become confusing to tell which posture carries a lie. If it’s someone you’re familiar with, it pays to know how they typically behave. If their posture is outside their standard, it may indicate that something’s off with their behavior.

Someone acting suspiciously isn’t a clear indicator of guilt

While these may help pinpoint if someone is lying, they aren’t a foolproof list of behaviors. Self-awareness still plays a critical point when identifying if someone is lying or not. How much trust one holds has a strong effect on telling how much they believe and are willing to have faith in the other. Additionally, these points are only a few of the thousands of body language and facial expressions one needs to familiarize and identify if they wish to be experts fluent in reading non-verbal communication. But knowing these few will already benefit enough in protecting one’s trust in people.