Top 5 Habits of Effective Liars

Pathological liars can’t help themselves from fibbing, so they tell a lot of little lies. They’re easy to spot. But what about the more sinister, covert types? Suave and skilled fabricators don’t bother unless it will help them get what they want. I’m sure you’ve come across many skilled liars… perhaps you yourself have even been one.

1. Tell the truth, vaguely. Lies which aren’t actually lies—truth told in a way that instills a false notion. E.g., “The economy is in a rough patch due to waste and inefficiency…” This is a generalization!

2. Know your audience. Skilled liars can worm their way into anyone’s head. They use cunning methods of empathy, picking up on their target’s interests, likes, and dislikes to gauge their willingness to buy the lie they peddle. Carolyn Saarni, co-editor of the book Lying and Deception in Everyday Life, advises knowing what your audience knows in order to cover your tracks more effectively.

3. Turn up the heat. If your audience becomes suspicious, a savvy liar will raise the bar. They use manipulation to beguile their targets. Think of films about criminals who are hauled in for questioning regarding crimes committed… they seem to use whatever is in their arsenal to distract, seduce, or avoid their interrogator’s questions.

4. Counterattack. A majority of folks are simply ill at ease when it comes to conflict, and that includes fibbing and telling lies, too. Leveraging this discomfort is a trick politicians often use. Think of those nasty retaliatory ads on TV during various campaigns. “So and so overspent last year, do you really think they can manage a budget which is spiraling out of control?” Aggressive responses are used to throw off critics, forcing opponents to wage a defensive battle instead of really tackling key issues.

5. Negotiation. When they’re caught, or even when their lie doesn’t hold much water with their target, liars elude the worst case scenario by negotiating their way out of the hole they dug for themselves. A liar will use this strategy to soften/sidestep the responsibility of angering their target. Trying to lower the blame factor makes their actions seem almost innocuous.

Add your own “favorite” examples of how people have lied to you!

Is your loved one or friend lying to you? Get a psychic reading. Call 1.800.573.4830 or Choose Your Psychic now.

4 thoughts on “Top 5 Habits of Effective Liars

  1. Pingback: The 7 Lies We Tell Ourselves | California Psychics Blog

  2. laura1409

    Hi Tamara,

    Hang in there. My husband was diagnosed a sociopath and a narcissist by a very experienced psychologist. Of course it makes sense, but at the time I was so in denial about those labels and what it might mean and bought into so many lies over the years. We’re now getting a divorce and I have a baby and an 8-year-old son. It’s scary to be on my own, but worth it if you can get out from under.

    Sending you lots of light.

    Laura

    Reply
  3. Jacqueline

    Hi Heidi,

    One of my big pet peeves with those that lie, is they lie to you but, they don’t realize you know they are telling a lie, they come across that they have pulled a fast one, this is so amazing to me.

    Blessings and Big Hugs!
    Jacqueline x9472

    Reply
  4. Tamara Nicholas

    I am currently involved with someone who is a classic example of what you’ve just posted. I see it and know what they’re doing when they’re doing it to me. Still, somehow they manage to trick me into engaging in their manipulative diversive plot. Maybe it’s my ADHD that allows them to manipulate my attention so easily? Maybe it’s the fact that I’m just so worn out and tired of fighting and I know full well what they’re doing when they’re doing it and I know they’re lying to me and I know – bottom line – they will never admit to their deceit. They are far to proud, have no integrity, and do not value me enough as a human being because they are far too selfish themselves to be honest. What sucks is I’m so damn trapped. I’m literally dependent upon this liar for all my support. Financial, transportation, shelter, and so on. I can live without the sex. They never were there emotionally. Maybe they were there mentally, but when push came to shove they never had the capacity to show true empathy and compassion. They just don’t tick like a human being. I truly believe he is a sociopath…

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Jacqueline Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *