/> Really there is no easy way of actually defining what a lie is. If someone misses out some information, is that a lie, or just selective truth. The very omission can turn that into a mistruth of sorts.

Now this obviously differs when you are contested against a fact and you tell a lie. If someone asks you a question which you outright answer with a mistruth, then you are what they know in the trade as a 'bare faced liar'. Oh, the shame.

There are people out there that really can't help but lie. These people are known as pathological liars. These individuals want their lives to sound more exciting than the reality, or they want to impress, so they make up the most far-fetched lives you've ever heard. I'm sure you know one or two, they can be hilarious once you know that they are outrageous liars. I often used to listen to one at work for entertainment purposes.

Another common reason people lie is to get out of a sticky situation. The lie being told is preferential to the consequences of telling the truth. Once someone knows that telling lies is easier than telling the truth, it can become habitual. Sticky situation? No problem, I'll just tell a lie and skip down the road with joy. In the end someone doing this regularly can end up believing their own mistruths.

Maybe some people lie to gain more respect from people that are important to them. Perhaps from their social group or colleagues at work. A lie to 'outdo' is often expressed in a society which relies on social status.

So How Do You Spot A Liar?

Well, other than unintelligent liars who come out with things so far fetched you just have to laugh, there are a few other ways. You need a good memory to be a liar so you know what you've said to whom. Often their sins will find them out, but a good visual clue is their body language. Look out for exaggerated gestures or a shift in the tone of that persons voice. Eyes are the windows of our souls and many people cannot look you in the eye properly when telling a lie. They will shift their gaze so as not to engage in direct eye contact.
Article by Ray Davis of School Of Professional Psychology. Where the mind and body meet.