Whether you are asking for someone’s opinion or are interested in getting to know them better, you typically want to hear the truth. Yet how can you be sure that is what you're getting? This is a question that has interested me for a while now. I cannot count how many times I have been in a conversation with friends or family and noticed that something was off, sometimes with their responses and sometimes with their body language. I'm no expert, but either they really had to go to the bathroom, their clothes were too tight...or they were lying. My curiosity has driven me to conduct some research and discover the truths behind body language and lying.

From the studies I have found and read, there are several basic signs which are proven to indicate that someone is lying. They are as follows:

1. Pitch of voice heightens or voice cracks

2. Their head position quickly shifts

3. Breathing become heavier

4. They stand very still

5. They stare without blinking

6. They provide too much information

7. Repeat words or phrases

8. Their feet frequently shift

9. They bite their lip or get dry mouth

10. They point a lot

All of the signs above are interestingly caused in response to instinct, hostility and stress. For example, when someone stands quite rigid as they speak that is their body instinctively readying itself for possible confrontation. Staring at someone without blinking is an indication that they are attempting to intimidate and gain control over the conversation. Similarly, pointing shows hostility and aggressiveness while lip-biting, dry mouth, shifty feet and heavy breathing are natural reactions to stress or nerves.

It’s a well-established fact that everyone lies, though thankfully not all the time, and the reasons for doing so can be endless. Of course, you cannot be 100 percent sure when someone is lying. Reading body language is a complex skill. A person may just be naturally shifty or likes to delve into details. But when these signs seem out of the ordinary, there is a pretty good chance that Pinocchio’s nose is subtly growing.

To read more about how to tell if someone is lying: Unconcious Lie detection and The Body Language of Liars.