Lying Effectively: A How To, Or Is It?

By Clare Toohey

April 23, 2013

There are at least 10 important guidelines any successful liar follows:

  1. Lying's Like A Muscle—use it enough to stay limber
  2. Don't Over-rehearse Any One Lie—you might sound flat or too practiced
  3. Don't Sweat Follow-Up Questions—that's when you close the deal
  4. Tell It the Same Way to Everyone—they might compare stories
  5. Don't Keep Incriminating Crib Notes—sheesh, are you nuts?!
  6. Don't Seem Overly Invested—it's a red flag
  7. Don't Fidget or Lose Eye Contact—it betrays guilt and anxiety
  8. Reduce Conversational Stress—too much heat leads to accusations
  9. Don't Get Defensive—why argue if you're being truthful?
  10. When Caught Red-Handed, Accept Responsibility—forgiving you alleviates anger, setting up a better outcome next time

It all sounds reasonable, right? Yeah…but No! Because actually, the lying liars' best secrets really include just the opposite of what I've summarized here!  You could go to Jeff Wise's column from Psychology Today to read the “so-called” legit list of 10 secrets for yourself, if you trust me to send you to the right place. You do, don't you?

(No, honestly, that link will work fine. It's not a keylogging discount-Viagra credit card phishing site.)

(REALLY, IT'S NOT.)

(It isn't. I swear…probably)

Image via Killers Without Conscience

Comments

  1. Dorothy Hayes
    April 23, 2013 at 9:35 am

    Clare, there is one glaring omission: Don’t take a video of your crime and put it on Face Book or YouTube.
    Perhaps this goes beyond the scope of the subject.
    But I’m stunned at those who record their awful acts and totally incriminate themselves. I guess it makes the job easier for the cops, at any rate.

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