6 Reasons Why We’re Bad at Spotting Liars

We often remind clients that it’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it.  In fact, how you communicate often trumps the exact words you use.  The how includes the way you look, the way you dress, move and occupy space – in other words, the totality of your being.

From our colleague, Carol Kinsey Goman: Recognizing that we are being lied to is an important social and business skill. But surprisingly small factors – where we meet someone, 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 the extent that it actually nullifies our ability to make sound judgments about them. Our own unconscious biases, vanities, self-deceptions and desires only add to the hijacking of our reason. When we put our faith in a co-worker we don’t really know or hire someone we haven’t properly investigated, (or give $25,000 to a seemingly influential man), we almost always do so for reasons of which we are completely unaware.

You can read Carol’s six reasons why we suck at spotting liars here.

Photo Credit:  Stuart Miles/freedigitalphotos.net