The best way of countering liars is to follow the old adage “trust, but verify”
Recognizing that we are being lied to is an important social and business skill. But surprisingly small factors about someone, – where we meet them, what they wear, what their voices sound like, whether their posture mimics ours, if they mention the names of people we know or admire – can enhance their credibility to…
Everyone lies – it's part of human nature. And nothing can weaken a network or destroy a reputation faster than being exposed as a liar. So minimize your lies
Wouldn’t it be convenient if the workforce were divided neatly into “us” versus “them?” We, of course, would be the good guys who were always upfront and truthful. They would be the rotten apples whose destructive lies betray the confidence placed in them and ruin everything for the rest of us. If that scenario were…
Most workplace lies (and liars) are discovered after the fact – it's time to put an end to the cycle and end the lies before the harm is done
Most workplace lies (and liars) are discovered after the fact – after you’ve signed the faulty contract, hired the wrong person or agreed to work on that career-limiting project. Wouldn’t it be great (as well as a professional advantage) to spot liars in action, before the harm was done? To sharpen your lie-detection ability, follow…
Men lie about their accomplishments, salaries, and status. Women, by contrast, lie to minimize their perceived deficiencies
I don’t mean that men tell more lies, or are better at lying. But men and women lie about different things. When men lie, it’s often to look bigger – taller, richer, more powerful and more sexually attractive. In both personal ads and in face-to-face conversations, men tend to “inflate” the numbers by saying they…
These untruths reflect badly on candidates, and much more on the ability of the electorate to make thoughtful and informed decisions
We live in a society of law and order, of values and mission statements, oversight, accountability, and in which transparency is highly valued. Witnesses at judicial hearings are held in contempt if they lie, individuals who knowingly make false and harmful statements can be held libellous, advertisers can’t lie about their products, students can’t cheat…
If you don’t look like you’re telling the truth, it won’t matter that you actually are
I once spoke to MBA students at the Stanford Graduate School of Business as part of a wonderful program called the Mastery in Communication Initiative. In its expert speakers’ series, Stanford invites “pioneers in the field of communication” to share their insights with business students. In my presentation, on “How to Spot Liars at Work…These 7 facial gestures can denote deceit but also be the result of simple nervousness
Have you ever wondered if someone really wants to be in a conversation with you? Could you be unknowingly undermining your rapport efforts with your body language (and theirs)? As soon as we come into contact with others, before we even exchange one word, we are communicating. For this reason, understanding your own body language and having…
Too often, the truth can set you free – from jobs, relationships, money and social opportunities
The first thing to remember in this day of mass media saturation is that there are no great lies – if something is repeated often enough it becomes the truth. That being said, the ultimate great lie is that it is always better to tell the truth. There are needful lies; lies of omission, white…
The fact that a child lied is not the story. The fact that those in authority accepted, and publicized, an 11-year-old girl's story without checking the facts is
There have been stories of adults and children lying to the public about everything from getting robbed to being raped. The ruse Canadians just experienced could leave a bad taste in our mouths for some time. On Jan. 12, the Toronto Police Service’s Twitter feed reported an attack at Pauline Johnson Junior Public School by…
As we embrace the truth of humanity's most horrific actions, hateful lies lose their power, we become enlightened and the path to a better world becomes clear
“Truthfulness alone constitutes the spiritual discipline of the Kali Yuga,” the Hindu tell us. As we study the beliefs of our sisters and brothers, we realize how much we have in common – and how universal wisdom always points to truth. The Kali Yuga, the age of the goddess Kali, is a time of death and destruction,…