10 x this is how you know if someone is telling the truth

Years ago, I was once told that people who blink a lot while telling a story are most likely lying. Without further investigating this, I accepted this theory as truth, and for a long time accused people (or exes) who I thought blinked too much of lying. Very annoying, of course, as if a person only speaks the truth when he/she is not blinking, that is impossible, right?

And what turns out? This theory about lying and blinking is actually a bit different than I always thought. You will read more about that later. During the search for the truth behind blinking (it seemed useful to investigate better after so many years), I discovered even more signs that indicate whether someone is telling the truth. All scientifically substantiated, by the way. So you understand that I will cling to this list for the rest of my life to the point of annoyance. Do you doubt whether someone is telling the truth? Then take a look at the checklist below, and you will find out quickly.

1. The eyes blink in a consistent rhythm

Okay, I always thought: the less blinking during a story, the better. But that turns out not to be entirely the case, because what it actually comes down to is the rhythm of blinking. When lying, blinking is actually slower, and after the lie is told, blinking occurs more than eight times faster than normal. So when someone blinks very slowly during the story and then suddenly blinks like crazy, alarm bells should ring. In other words: with a consistent blinking rhythm, the chance that someone is being honest with you is quite high.

2. The story is long and detailed

I found this a surprising discovery because I often think that the people who tell a long-winded story are lying. But according to experts, it is actually the people who tell a short (and often incoherent story) who are the ones lying. A point to remember.

3. No excuses based on external factors

‘The train didn't come’ or ‘my phone broke down’: all examples of veiled excuses where the person in question claims they can't do anything about it. Liars often use this kind of excuse because they secretly feel guilty about lying. If the other person does not come up with such an excuse (outside of themselves), then the chance of the truth is very high.

4. A real smile

This is a terribly tricky point, especially if you are with an actor. With people who lie the activity of the large muscles around the mouth increases, resulting in a kind of fake smile during the story. Golden tip: also pay attention to the eye muscles. When the eye muscles move along, we can often conclude that the truth is being spoken because we see a real smile.

5. No body parts are hidden

Research shows that when telling a lie, you often hide certain vulnerable body parts, such as your throat, head, stomach, or chest. Body language is therefore very important, ladies and gentlemen. If nothing is hidden? Then there is no reason to panic; you are probably being told the truth.

6. The nose remains untouched

By now we all know that a nose cannot grow while lying, but there is still something going on with that nose. Liars can often touch their nose a lot while telling a lie. This is because: during lying, histamine is released in certain tissues of the nose, causing the nose to itch and liars will touch their nose. Of course, someone can also just have hay fever or another type of allergy, but it is still nice if that nose remains untouched during a story.

7. The right amount of eye contact

Although you would think that a liar prefers to avoid your gaze, a liar usually seeks excessively much eye contact. They do this precisely to avoid appearing suspicious. How sneaky is that? So if you feel that there is suddenly a lot of eye contact happening, bordering on the unnatural, then you are probably being lied to.

8. A stable breathing pattern

Liars are often a bit tense and nervous, which can cause them to literally become out of breath. And you can hear that in a hurried way of speaking and a breathy breathing pattern. However, if you hear a stable breathing pattern and the other person's voice does not change? Then there is nothing wrong.

9. Complete sentences

Liars have a tendency to not finish their sentences. They are probably still thinking about what they are actually going to sell you in the middle of their sentence. People who generally tell the truth, on the other hand, use complete and full sentences. Unless, of course, you are dealing with a trained pathological liar, but that is another story.

10. Your instinct tells you that it is good

Last but not least, it has been scientifically proven that our instinct is quite strong in sensing the truth. Besides paying attention to the other person, it is just as important to always trust your own feelings.