Detecting A Lie

In practically every study we've conducted on the topic, people have shown to be quite lousy at lying. The overall accuracy is only slightly better than a coin flip, at roughly 54%. The fact that we are social creatures and frequently adept at inferring the thoughts and feelings of others without having to consciously consider it makes this a perplexing subject. It turns out that the scientists' focus on the conscious portion of the brain was the problem. When attempting to determine if someone is lying or not, we search for outward cues such as fidgeting or avoiding eye contact.

That only applies to dishonest liars, of course, and without those clues, the brain is unable to distinguish the truth. However, the subconscious mind can. Studies have shown that the brain has a unique, intuitive method of identifying dishonesty or deceit that is generally quite accurate. When someone says they have a "bad feeling" about someone, they actually mean this.