Let’s face it: Tossing off a convincing lie is a skill, one that every person should master. That’s not to say you should go full scammer on your life. Seriously, don’t make this your entire lifestyle, because that would be totally insane. But in case of emergency—like that Tinder date who said they love living at home—you can hack your body language to make that I-have-an-early-morning fib believable. It’s fine! It’s just a fib! Here, we tell you the different ways your body is betraying you, courtesy of body-language expert Blanca Cobb.
Eyes
The fail
Some people think the key to lying is eye contact, so they end up doing it reeeally intensely—like, staring-contest level. Nope (also, creepy).
Your fix
Where your eyes go doesn’t really matter. So feel free to look around the room as usual while you tell Jackie you thought those were community Doritos.
Mouth
The fail
A finger on the lip or cupping your mouth is a dead giveaway.
Your fix
We know you’re a pro at double-fisting, so do it as you tell that frat brah you’ve got a boyf.
Hands
The fail
If you’re a hand talker—as in, you physically demonstrate how tall last night’s Hinge date was—you’ll probably get even more animated while bullshitting.
Your fix
Remain calm and employ your normal level of gesturing while making an excuse to skip that one friend of a friend’s birthday party. Worried about hand control? Try the hands-in-pockets trick.
Stance
The fail
Backing or turning away from the person you’re fibbing to happens because you’re trying to distance yourself from what you just said. So. Meta.
Your fix
If you catch yourself moving backward while telling your boss you’re way too sick to work from anywhere but bed the rest of the day, stop right where you are. Stay there and endure the awkward.
Feet
The fail
The fidgety things you do when you’re anxious, like tapping your toes and shuffling your feet, are no bueno.
Your fix
Take a seat as you weave a web of (probs worth it) lies. It’s harder to unknowingly speak weird body language when your legs and arms can only move so much.
The bottom line
Take a sec right now to assess how you’re sitting and what your body language looks like. Pay attention next time you talk to someone too. That, my friend, is your new Stealth Liar Posture. Learn it. Love it. Live it.
Emma Baty is the Senior Entertainment Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she shapes TV, movie and music coverage, writes celebrity profiles, edits stories across both print and digital, and generally obsesses over all things pop culture. Prior to this role, she worked as Cosmopolitan.com’s News Writer, writing celebrity news stories daily and covering live events like the Oscars. Originally from Grand Haven, Michigan, she currently lives in Brooklyn.
