John Edwards, Senator from North Carolina and 2008 democrat presidential rival for the presidency, has of course admitted to having an affair with his aide, . He is member of a long list of politicians that have had affairs during their time in office. I think the saddest thing is that we are more curious than shocked because we have grown accustomed to this type of behavior by politicians.
Here is where my curiosity is really peeked. Of course John Edwards admitted to having the affair, but he is not admitting that the baby is his or that he paid anyone directly or indirectly related with the affair to keep quiet. When watching the Cnn interview with John Edwards where he admitted the affair, I was wondering if there is any way to decipher whether someone is telling the truth or lying. Detecitves and police officers have for years know little tricks and cues that might help to figure out if someone is being honest or telling a lie. While these tips and methods are not scientific and can not be proven, they are cues to watch for. This is not in any way an article trying to prove or disprove John Edwards’s honesty. I actually liked the guy and was considering voting for him. It is merely a look at the cues that might suggest if someone is telling the truth or lying
1) While I can not find this tip anywhere, my 15 year old daughter stated that they were discussing just this topic in school last year. One of the cues is when someone answers a question with “ I have not” or “ I can not.” In other words, they don’t use contractions. In every day regular speech, most people use contractions. So next time watch and see if the person you suspect uses “ I have not” Or “ I can not.” Those of us old enough to remember heard President Nixon say, “ I can not tell a lie.”
2) The person will use what are called levelers. They will make statements such as never, or nobody, or always. I’m not so sure I believe this, because if a person is trying to say they are honest, they might use one of these levelers.
3) I have noticed that when people get nervous, they tend to touch their face a lot. A professor at MIS, Dr. Randall Boyd states that this is common. Someone who is telling a lie will often touch their face more than usual.
4) If you are lying you will look up to the left. The left side of the brain is the creative side, and if you lie, you look to the left trying to come up with supports and excuses to support your lie. However some people are so keen they have learned that this is suspected and they avoid looking left when talking
5) Often ask the other person to repeat the question or comment. This gives the person who is lying a chance to think up a story or a support.
This list is not inclusive, but it is a start. Again, this is not an attempt to prove John Edwards as either telling the truth or lying. Next time you suspect a friend or co worker of not being honest with you, look for the cues listed above. But don’t take them too seriously as there is no hard evidence they are valid.
(http://media.www.uahexponent.com/media/storage/paper462/news/2003/10/09/News/Mis-Professor.Discovers.Lying.Cues-525613.shtml) (http://www.blifaloo.com/info/lies_eyes.php)
(http://www.lifetrainingonline.com/blog/how-to-detect-lies.htm)
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