{"id":13004,"date":"2017-05-30T16:16:06","date_gmt":"2017-05-31T00:16:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/?p=13004"},"modified":"2022-09-02T09:46:57","modified_gmt":"2022-09-02T17:46:57","slug":"how-are-great-liars-so-effective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/how-are-great-liars-so-effective\/","title":{"rendered":"How are Great Liars so Effective?"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are telltale signs of lying: looking away while speaking, fidgeting, changes in voice, sweating and breaking eye contact. The best liars, however, don\u2019t show any of these signs. They can lie while looking you right in the eye. They can tell tiny lies or huge lies and it doesn\u2019t matter to them. They are great actors, storytellers and mimics.<\/p>\n

So how are great liars so believable?<\/p>\n

What Makes a Great Liar<\/strong><\/b><\/h3>\n

Great liars are a mix of natural talents \u2014 like acting and high intelligence \u2014 and lots of practice. A great liar doesn\u2019t leave any easy-to-spot tracks. They don\u2019t raise suspicion in the people they lie to, cheat and con and they don\u2019t feel remorse about what they do. Lying is, literally, as easy as breathing for them. There are several traits every great liar has inside them:<\/p>\n

They Don\u2019t Get Pleasure From Lying<\/strong><\/b><\/h3>\n

Most people experience a strange thrill with lying. Standard-grade liars feel a twinge of exhilaration when we lie. We got away with it! This excitement can have physical effects: your heart races a little bit, your voice cracks. But an expert liar<\/a> doesn\u2019t experience any pleasure from telling a fib, no matter how small nor serious the lie.<\/p>\n

Maybe they lack the brain chemistry to experience that emotion or, more likely, they\u2019ve trained themselves to squash those feelings because they leave dangerous tells. Pleasure isn\u2019t the only feeling they suppress: guilt, fear, anxiety are all surgically removed from a master liar\u2019s heart. This is one reason they can slip through actual lie detector machines.<\/p>\n

They are Smart, and Have Excellent Memories<\/strong><\/b><\/h3>\n

\u201cA man may go forward in life with lies, but never backwards\u201d is an old Russian proverb that clearly doesn\u2019t deter master liars. The best con artists are incredibly smart and able to remember the smallest details. They know all of the lies they\u2019ve told in the past, and they know how the lies they\u2019ll tell in the future will layer into those old lies. Like a spider, they can\u2019t get trapped in their own web.<\/p>\n

They are also quick thinkers, especially the experienced liars. Through practice they learn how to weave a story in real-time. Trying to trick them up with a volley of quick questions won\u2019t work against the best liars.<\/p>\n

The Best Liars are Great Storytellers<\/strong><\/b><\/h3>\n

Lying is storytelling, and the best liars are master storytellers. They can read their audience and color their lies to match their victim\u2019s mood, beliefs and temper. Skilled liars know people are unlikely to look for a lie if they\u2019re hearing a story they already agree with, or want to think is true.   Not to mention, they\u2019ve been lying for such a long time they\u2019re also expert actors. Not only will they look you right in the eye and lie to you, but they\u2019ll also smile, shake your hand and charm you. The best liars know to avoid all the typical behaviors that tip people off to lies.<\/p>\n

How to Catch an Expert Liar<\/strong><\/b><\/h3>\n

The best liars are hard to catch but you can be on the lookout for some of their tells.<\/p>\n