How To Lie
How to Lie? As silly as this question sounds, it’s important to be able to lie and lie well. True this topic may point the moral compass south, but then so does the entirety of this site, and if your still here well then…Deception as a skill is perhaps the most valuable tool a Cheater / all around debaucher-er can possess. Many people make a living being “professional liars”. Take for example Politicians, Corporate Lobbyists, Defense Attorneys, Secret Agents, you get the point. While this is usually a “born-with” ability there are many things one can do to sharpen their ability to lie convincingly.Sociopaths make the best liars. They also have a predisposition for Promiscuity & Infidelity which could explain a whole lot. Anyways, no reason we can’t borrow a page from the Sociopath-Lying handbook. Below are several tips that will help you be a better liar.
Memory: A good memory is most important when lying. Without a good memory there’s no way you’ll be able to keep multiple stories straight or deliver the same lie at a later date if questioned again. Your mind must function as a virtual database storing what lie you told, when you told it, and who you told it to. If you’ve got a poor memory you’re going to have a very hard time keeping your stories straight.
Confidence: This is the second most important aspect of being a good liar. You need to be perfectly confident about what you’re saying and how you say it. It helps if you believe your own lie. If you believe what you are saying is the truth it will help you convince others it’s the truth. No aspect of yourself can be “shaky”. Not your demander, your actions, or your gaze. You must be calm, cool, clear, and collected.
Appearance: Your appearance is an important aspect of how people perceive you, especially if they’re just meeting you. Clean & well dressed will increase your credibility. Obviously this is a situation based angle, so make sure you ‘fit-in”. Giving people something to question right off the bat will reduce the chances they’ll believe your lies.
Body Language: This is very important. The way your body moves and behaves sends messages and either invokes confidence/belief or provokes suspicion/doubt. Make sure not to fidget. If sitting watch where you place your legs & feet. Do not cross your arms as this is interpreted as holding something back. Don’t rub your chin as if you’re plotting something or rub the back of your neck. These are unconscious movements many of us do when we’re thinking up a lie. Keep your palms at your sides.
Eye Contact: Eye contact is very important. Look the person you are lying to in the eye. Don’t let your eyes wander. This is typical behavior when activating the imaginative portions of the brain (lying). Don’t dead stare at them either. Avoiding extremes in behavior is key. People avert their glance naturally during a conversation. Just keep your gaze “natural”. A good trick is to look at people in the mouth. From almost any distance looking at someone in the mouth while you speak to them is indistinguishable from looking them in the eye.
Improvisation: Take an acting or drama class. Improvisation is a key element to good lying. Improv throws you in a random scenario where you must quickly asses the situation and react. Practicing this over and over makes you a better “actor” and enables you to lie involuntarily. It will train your mind to be sharp and spin a story at a moments notice.
Keep it Simple: If using a lie as an excuse, keep it short. The less details the better.
Intimacy: When telling your lie try to touch your subject. A pat on the back or a re-assuring brace on the shoulder helps sell your “honesty”.
Draw from the Real: Incorporate real aspects in your lie when possible. A real person, situations, places, etc…
Emotions: Tap into your emotions and use them. If you can cry on queue that is a valuable skill.
Reference: Slide your lie into casual conversation here and there as if it were true. Reference it at a later date where it might apply to a different scenario. Too long of a silence on a “questionable” subject may arouse suspicion.
