What Does Your Body Do When You Tell a Lie?

Are you interested in the physiology of the human body, and have you wondered what does your body do when you tell a lie? A lie, also known as a prevarication or a falsehood, is an untruthful statement and the individual often knows that he or she is lying. Yet, can others tell when you deliberately choose not to tell the truth? What does your body do when you tell a lie?

Although not every individual exhibits the same physically signs that he or she is lying, there are signs that are common to a number of individuals. Of course, people that are extremely good at lying or very comfortable with the act of lying may or may not exhibit any signs at all. Other individuals may have a specific “tick” that happens when they lie.

Regardless, there are common physical signs that a majority of individuals exhibit when they tell a falsehood. Your body tends to stiffen when you tell a lie, perhaps because you are focused on the statement (or statements) that you are saying. Along with this, your face is usually devoid of expressions with the exception of your mouth. Again, this may be because you are focusing on the words that are coming out of your mouth.

Gestures

Although your body becomes stiffer, you also tend to make unnecessary gestures. Frequently, you might touch your hair, or touch your mouth, or touch your eyes. This may or may not be a way of somewhat diverting the attention of your listener away from exactly what you are saying.

Although you may be making unnecessary gestures, you usually do them with a closed fist. This inability to produce an open hand has been a commonly observed physical consequence of lying. Especially if you are not used to telling a lie, there will be a visible uneasiness as you tell the falsehood. You may shift your balance from one foot to another if you are standing up.

If you are not used to telling a lie, you also may have trouble making eye contact with the individual you are talking to. Liars tend to focus their sight on an object other than the individual in front of them.

Timing and Emotion

When you tell a lie, you frequently have difficulty timing the statement and the appropriate emotional gestures together. For example, if you are lying about liking an individual’s cooking, you may say, “It’s great!” and then smile. Usually, when you tell the truth, the smile and the statement occur simultaneously. Since you are not telling the truth, the smile is usually an afterthought because you were focusing on the lie. Additionally, the timing and duration of your emotional gestures are abnormal for your personality. You may display emotion for longer than you usually do, and then stop it suddenly.

Body Language

Still want to know more answers for the question what does your body do when you tell a lie? Liars frequently shift their body or head away from the individual that they are lying to. The liar may feel uncomfortable completely facing the person they are deceiving. Additionally, liars often subconsciously place objects between them and the individual they are lying to.

For example, when you tell a lie, you may place a coffee cup and a book in between you and the other person without even realizing it. This may be your way of subconsciously distancing yourself and protecting yourself from the individual you are lying to.

Speech and Voice

Lying may also have an effect on how you speak and your speech. When you tell a lie, you may speak in a much more monotone voice than you usually do. You also may leave out pronouns because you are trying to rush through the sentence. Liars have also been known to “garble” their words, or speak them more softly than normal. You are uncomfortable with what you are saying, and it shows in your speech.