American lawyer Jefferson Fisher developed a remarkably effective strategy for exposing liars during their trials.
In his eponymous podcast, Jefferson Fisher reveals that it's pointless to analyze a liar's body language, or even to base your decision on the bead of sweat that forms on their forehead. Indeed, a seasoned imposter has the ability to control their gestures perfectly so as not to give anything away. Instead, what's needed is to focus on their words, on certain sentences and expressions.
According to Fisher, the interlocutor who uses so-called "extreme" terms will likely be the most inclined to lie. By "extreme," the lawyer means absolute ideas, which have no nuances or exceptions, reports the media outlet L'internaute. "The words 'never' and 'always' are perfect examples of this," he explains. While in reality, some situations are very complex, the liar will tend to reduce them to frozen moments, binary phenomena, without any variation. It's therefore by using general truths that the liar will betray himself.
"No, never!"
Fisher goes further and details his strategy. He uses the example of a very simple question asked to his interlocutor: "Were you texting while driving that day?" And if the latter's answer is similar to "No, I never text. Never while driving," it's almost certain that the lawyer is dealing with a liar. "Never is an extreme. Everyone texts while driving at one point or another, even in a car," the lawyer emphasizes. "So there's a big problem with this answer."
Any doubts? Then ask the same question again, highlighting the term that raises eyebrows. "You absolutely never text while driving?" According to Fisher, the interlocutor should realize their stupidity and try to make up for it by adding nuance to their statements. "At that precise moment, he knows that 'never' is a risky word. And he will eventually answer: 'Sometimes, yes, maybe, but almost never.'" And that is how the liar is unmasked.
(MH with Raphaël Liset - Source : L’internaute - Illustration : ©Unsplash)
Quick links