Former FBI agent breaks down the biggest ‘body language myths’ that people claim suggest you’re lying
Topics: Psychology, Life
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: YouTube/WIRED
Topics: Psychology, Life
A former FBI agent has revealed what he believes to be some of the biggest 'myths' when it comes to body language.
Someone's body language can be a key indicator of how they're feeling. For example, there a five key ways in which you can tell if a person doesn't like you without them actually having to say so.
A popular one that people are often on the hunt for is 'red flag' signs that you're being lied to.
However, not is all as it seems according to ex FBI agent and body language expert Joe Navarro, who debunked some theories and 'myths' about someone's unconscious movements.
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Some believe that this would indicate that person doesn't like them and that it's a 'blocking behavior' – but Navarro said this is 'nonsense'.
"It's actually to self soothe. In essence, it's a self hug," he explained to Wired.
Going on to give examples, Navarro said: "When you're sitting at a movie and you're watching, you're going to cross your arms. You're waiting for somebody, you tend you [cross your arms]."
He went on to note that people often do this in public more than they do in private.
"When we think about something, we may look in a certain way as we process the information," said Navarro.
"It's certainly not indicative to deception and it really shouldn't be used that way," he continued. "All we can say is that somebody is processing the information."
It's been argued that things like clearing your throat, covering your month, or touching your nose are all indicators that someone is lying, but Navarro insists that this isn't the case.
He explained: "We do these behaviors as self-soothers. They're pacifying behaviors. Scientifically and empirically, there's just no Pinocchio effect."
Navarro continued to say that anyone who says they're able to detect deception because a person touches their nose or covers their mouth, then it's 'sheer nonsense'.
"We humans are lousy at detecting deception," he added.
When questioning somebody, Navarro said than an area of the face called the glabella (the skin between your eyebrows) was 'one of the first areas to reveal information to us'.
Another thing he'd monitor was a person's neck and if their head was tilting. According to Navarro, a titled head would indicate that someone was relaxed.
"The minute the head tilt goes away, there's usually come issue," he continued.