The Oprah Winfrey Show
Oprah's Best Life Series
Harpo Films
For One More Day
The Great Debaters
O, The Oprah Magazine
Subscribe Today
Oprah Radio
Oprah's Angel Network
Oprah's Book Club
Janine says 93 percent of what we communicate to others is through nonverbal expressions—eye contact and body movements. She says our nonverbal cues change when we're not telling the truth. "When we lie, our brains and bodies don't want us to lie, so we see a lot of stuttering," Janine says.
Janine shares advice on how to catch a liar in the act:
- Instead of accusing the person of lying, ask if there is a reason why an event related to the lie is taking place. For example, if you suspect your child is fibbing, ask, "Is there any reason why your friend's mother called me today?" instead of accusing him of doing something wrong.
- When your child gives you a dishonest answer, say, "Really?" Get a little attitude with him and look at him as though you do not believe what he's saying, Janine says.
- Say nothing at all. "A liar needs to be believed, so they will fill in that space with something," Janine says.
- Say, "Is there something you want to get off your chest?" When you say that, Janine says you'll be surprised at the response you get. More than 80 percent of people will confess what they were lying about, she says.
