Thanks for the invitation. The views of the colleagues are highly informative. Some lies are undoubted. In my opinion, life and lies may coincide for some persons. The problem is in the case in which the lies a person tells, strengthen him/her, instead of weakening him/her. Nevertheless, liars must not 'settle in' among their lies, violating basic moral rules. I believe strongly that always, there is at least one way for a person to cope with a liar.

Regards 

You check to see if his name is Donald Trump? If so, then it is a safe bet that, if you see his lips moving, then he is lying (he's been measured by politically independent fact-checkers as lying 70% + of-the-time in his public assertions) *hee*hee*

Thank you dear Bob for prompt response. I had his Cartoon on my question already. Here some excerpt from the attached link:

Have a three-way! (Politicians are amazing at this)

"If you think someone is lying, ask them the same question in three different ways. You might think that it is to catch any differences in their response, but what I’m telling you to look for just the opposite: is there a scripted aspect to their response? Do they use the same careful phrasing over and over again?  It allows them to answer the question without revealing anything they don't want you to know. If it feels like a prepared and scripted response, that is a sign that they’re either lying or not telling you the whole story."

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/281593

@ Professor Omid

When I was a young man, I lied much-too-often (well, more in the sense of "boasting," than outright premeditated lying to gain an unfair advantage or escape a punishment ... or lying meant to injure anyone, which, thank God! even as a brash young man full- of-testosterone, I wasn't guilty of very often).

I have found (through life's long experience) that lying is a profession best practiced by younger persons. Whenever we get older, and our ability to precisely recall what we said fades, we tend to be less effective liars, and thus, at least most of the wise (gray-bearded) ones, learn the futility of even trying to lie.

I think that the definition of 'wisdom' (maturity as a human being) is the knowledge that it is always better to respond (or pay) with the truth, what can seemingly be easily avoided (or purchased/gained) with a lie.

Some related links:

• Trump and Clinton: The two worst things that could happen to America
• Why This Is The Worst Presidential Election In US History
• Trump & Clinton: Awful Election Picture in a Divided Country

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/05/16/trump-and-clinton-the-two-worst-things-that-could-happen-to-america-commentary.html

http://www.cracked.com/video_20108_why-this-worst-presidential-election-in-u.s.-history.html

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/438576/trump-clinton-awful-election-picture-divided-country

A liar will trip up as the more they tell lies the harder it is for them to remember which lies they told and to whom. With the advances in technology careful researching will illuminate the lies as they are often recorded unknowingly or knowingly by the media and journalists. When someone is caught out lying they become uncomfortable and give way their nervousness by verbal action and gestures also facial expression skin colour changes they become excited even agitated. When it come to those liars slinging mud at each other then they are both guilty an up right honest person has nothing to hide does not get upset by attempts to assinate their character when there is nothing to assassinate. And if they have made a mistake or two and can be honest about it then people might be inclined to have faith in them. Personally I like neither American presidential candidates as I am not sure what they will do for America or their long term affect on the World. I don't think they have either the integrity or personality to in still confidence in any one we shall wait and see.

Dear Mahmoud and all:

After many years of being involved in politics --including as a full time political journalist for a newspaper--, what I can say is that the only way to know when a politician is lying is to be deeply informed on the political context and facts.

This implies something more than just follow the news on TV or read them on the Internet or newspapers, or discuss the news with friends. It requires some personal connection with the political world in the narrow sense of the term, 

I've seen that even people who make a living on politics many times are not fully aware of what is really going on. So It is very difficult for ordinary citizens to distinguish by themselves between truths and lies.

Here is where the role of journalism, experts, NGOs, and other organized groups is crucial. Citizens have necessarily to rely on the public deliberation process. If this process fails --that is, if it doesn't work "reasonably" well-- democracy works poorly.

You may tell the greatest lies and wear a brilliant disguise, but you can't escape the eyes of the one who sees right through you.  - TOM ROBBINS

Dear Colleagues,

Good Day,

"11 Signs Someone Is Lying To You

1. They change their head position quickly.

2. Their breathing changes.

3. They stand very still.

4. They repeat words or phrases.

5. They provide too much information.

6. They touch or cover their mouth.

7. They instinctively cover vulnerable body parts.

8. They shuffle their feet.

9. It becomes difficult for them to speak.

10. They stare at you without blinking much.

11. They tend to point a lot."....

Please, see the the original article for detail......

http://www.businessinsider.com/11-signs-someone-is-lying-2014-4#

Dear Colleagues,

Good Day,

"10 Ways to Catch a Liar

Experts have 10 tips that can let you know if someone isn't telling you the whole truth.

Tip No. 1: Inconsistencies.

Tip No. 2: Ask the Unexpected.

Tip No. 3: Gauge Against a Baseline

Tip No. 4: Look for Insincere Emotions

Tip No. 5: Pay Attention to Gut Reactions

Tip No. 6: Watch for Microexpressions

Tip No. 7: Look for Contradictions

Tip No. 8: A Sense of Unease

Tip No. 9: Too Much Detail

Tip No. 10: Don't Ignore the Truth.

Extra Tip: Be Trusting".....

Please, see the the original article for detail......

http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/10-ways-catch-liar

Thanks for the invitation. The views of the colleagues are highly informative. Some lies are undoubted. In my opinion, life and lies may coincide for some persons. The problem is in the case in which the lies a person tells, strengthen him/her, instead of weakening him/her. Nevertheless, liars must not 'settle in' among their lies, violating basic moral rules. I believe strongly that always, there is at least one way for a person to cope with a liar.

Regards 

Every truth passes through three stages before it is recognized. In the first it is ridiculed, in the second it is opposed, in the third it is regarded as self evident.

Arthur Schopenhauer

I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you. 

― Friedrich Nietzsche

Thank you all for sharing your views. I was reading wikiHOW about my question. There is a simple procedure mentioned there. Looking at body language or paying attention to speech and reactions can be helpful in determining if someone is lying to you.

How to Know if Someone is Lying?

If interested to know details on each of these 3 methods please see the attached link.

http://www.wikihow.com/Know-if-Someone-is-Lying

Dear Professor Omid,

Walter Fisher, a contemporary American Professor/thinker proposed the narrative paradigm (1987) to portray all kinds of messages as narratives, or story-telling. Fisher pointed out that normal people believe a message not only on the objective/rational ground, where scientific reasoning and evidence are presented; their decision is also subjective, reliant on their emotions and common sense. So based on Fisher's paradigm, lies can be detected by the following means:

1. Lack of coherence: when you hear a message, or "a story" in Fisher's term, and you feel that the beginning, continuation and the end of the story do not hang together well; the story is full of pieces and chunks of information; it is told in a random manner; it sounds patchy. It is probable that this kind of message is not true. This is why professional politicians hire ghostwriters to ensure their speeches sound coherent to the public in order for them to sound believable.

2. Lack of fidelity: when the story you hear does not ring true with the stories you believe to be true in your life, you will become skeptical, and are unlikely to believe the message. This is why liars try to appeal to common beliefs, values, and logical clichés circulated in society to justify their lies, and sound believable.  

Well, this is from Walter Fisher's perspective that I would like to share.

Sincerely,

Cameen

Why people lie — and how to tell if they are?

How, then, can we best detect whether we are being misled? There is no foolproof way, but there are often clues you can see in behavior that should make you suspicious:

Avoidance of eye contact: Usually someone makes eye contact at least half the time they are talking to you.  If you notice them avoiding eye contact or looking down during a specific part of a conversation, they may well be lying.

Change of voice: A variation in pitch of voice or rate of speech can be a sign of lying.  So can lots of umms and ahhs.

Body language. Turning your body away, covering your face or mouth, a lot of fidgeting of hands or legs can indicate deception.

Contradicting yourself:. Making statements that just don’t hold together should make you suspicious.

If you lie all the time, even about unimportant things, you are likely to have a problem that will eventually -- if it hasn’t already -- cause you real relationship, financial or legal troubles. Figuring out what is driving you to lie in the first place will help heal this self-destructive behavior. This may mean going into treatment with a therapist to discover why you feel the need to deceive...

http://www.today.com/health/why-people-lie-how-tell-if-they-are-2D80554952

make your response to some one that you have doubt as 50% true and 50% false for the first time.the second time you will know if it is 100% true or 100% false.

Very easy, look at his (her) eyes. If someone lies, he is not really looking at you straight.

Liars talk more!

According to a five-day analysis by Politico Magazine, "Trump averaged one falsehood every 3 minutes and 15 seconds over nearly five hours of remarks."

Here some statistics from their much-anticipated first debate, the two US presidential nominees will be scrutinized by the press for how accurate they represented facts:

• Clinton's comments were 22 percent "true," 28 percent "mostly true," 22 percent "half true," 15 percent "mostly false," and 11 percent "false," and 2 percent "pants on fire."
• Trump's comments were 4 percent "true," 11 percent "mostly true," 15 percent "half true," 17 percent "mostly false," 34 percent "false," and 18 percent "pants on fire."

Where America heading with such potential leaders?

http://www.ibtimes.com/who-tells-more-lies-hillary-clinton-or-donald-trump-truth-o-meter-two-nominees-one-2422143

Comparing Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump on the Truth-O-Meter

Scorecards of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton:

Clinton's statements by ruling

• True 69
• Mostly True 76
• Half True 65
• Mostly False 40
• False 28
• Pants on Fire 7

 Trump's statements by ruling

• True 13
• Mostly True 34
• Half True 45
• Mostly False 61
• False 106
• Pants on Fire 55

And the winner takes all!

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/lists/people/comparing-hillary-clinton-donald-trump-truth-o-met/

FORECASTING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS SINCE 1912

The Primary Model (2016) says: 87%-99% Certain Trump Will Be President

It is 87% to 99% certain that Donald Trump will win the presidential election on November 8, 2016; 87% if running against Hillary Clinton, 99% if against Bernie Sanders. These predictions come from primarymodel.com by Prof. Helmut Norpoth!!!  It is a statistical model that relies on presidential primaries and an election cycle as predictors of the vote in the general election.

Winning the early primaries is a major key for electoral victory in November. Trump won the Republican primaries in both New Hampshire and the South Carolina while Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders split the Democratic primaries in those states.

What favors the GOP in 2016 as well, no matter if Trump is the nominee or any other Republican, is the cycle of presidential elections.  After two terms of Democrat Barack Obama in the White House the electoral pendulum is poised to swing to the GOP this year. 

What do you think about Professor Norpoth's model? You can download the full forecast PDF document attached

http://primarymodel.com/

@ Dear Professor Omid

We have an expression here in Texas for models such as that proposed by Professor Norpoth ... "it's full of it" ... I'll leave you to imagine what "it" is [and I don't mean just the obvious "error"] *hee*hee*hee* but we have a great abundance of "it" around cow-lots, and especially piled-deeply around our politicians [like our Senator from Texas, Ted Cruz, probably the only politician in America who is nuttier than Trump, and piles "it" higher than Trump]

The national polls reported by Real Clear Politics is probably the best way to track how public sentiment in the presidential race is changing from day-to-day (link below)

Nate Silver (at FiveThirtyEight ... link below) is the best analyst of election probabilites (has the best track-record from previous elections), and re-calculates probabilities daily (based on an analysis of the aforementioned daily poll results). He currently places Clinton's chances of winning at 82.2% and Trump's chances are only 17.8%.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/president/

http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-election-forecast/

Dear @Bob, Thank you for your comments and introducing two good links. I checked them up. So Primary Model by Prof. Norpoth is  of no good.

Regarding the lies of politicians and correspondent indicators, the following research bring fine info.

His Lips Are Moving: Pinocchio Effect and Other Lexical Indicators of Political Deceptions

"Using the software program LIWC (Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count), this study used political statements classified as truths and lies by website Politifact.com and examined lexical differences between statement type (lie or truth) and the setting (interactive or scripted) in which the statement was given. In interactive settings (where statements given are prompted by questioning), politicians used shorter sentences, simpler words, and fewer causation statements than statements given in scripted settings (where statements are prepared in advance). Lying politicians used more words and negation statements than truth-tellers in both interactive and scripted settings. In interactive settings, politicians used more first-person pronouns. There were no main effects of deception on use of first- and third-person pronouns. Further, there are no effects of deception on use of negative emotion words or profanity. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of setting for studying lexical differences in deception and implications for the study of deception in political communication..."

Another resourse: Evidence for the Pinocchio Effect: Linguistic Differences Between Lies, Deception by Omissions, and Truths!

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0163853X.2014.942833

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0163853X.2011.633331?src=recsys

Dear @Ljubomir. Thank you for links and bringing out the Pinocchio Effect. Actually, I had same feeling when I first selected and included Trump-Clinton Pinocchio cartoons in the original question. They are  good spices if one is in search of pin pointing to good contemporary liars. Thanks for your feedback.

Dear Colleagues,

Good Day,

“A liar is always lavish of oaths.”

                                                          ― Pierre Corneille

Dear Colleagues,

Good Day,

A liar begins with making falsehood appear like truth, and ends with making truth itself appear like falsehood.

                                                         ----  William Shenstone

Dear @Hazim Thank you for the quotes. Inversely, as Mark Twain once said: "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything"

Dear all,

Please visit the RG page of Dr. Aldert Vrij who is one of the leading scholars in the research of lying and the lie: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Aldert_Vrij

There you can find numerous publications and further references to this topic.

Paul  

Dear all,

Lying is a behavior of living in falsehood, to say something that is false, is true. Therefore we can tell some one is lying by simply showing or proving what he/she has said or done is false or wrong. Because falsity and truth are both based on some axiomatic foundations of self evident truths and structures that are built up on them using principles of right thought process and logical reasoning, proving lying as a behavior of living in falsehood  has to be based on these rules and established structures of truth. If some one says 2+3= 23, then we have to show that this is false not by simply saying it is, but by following rules and properties of established system of arithmetic that indeed it is false. 

 IMO one of the best-of-all-time discourses on "lying eyes" [at link below] ...

Don Henley and I both grew-up and "came-of-age" in the same east-Texas milieu, "just-across-the-crick" from one-another [as we are wont to say in our east-Texas twangs ... although the distance of separation being close to 40km], having in common that we both had enjoyed family vacations, as little boys, at nearby Caddo Lake ... and I'm proud to have had the privilege of working with Don (as the state's land-management-agency's liaison on environmental issues at Caddo Lake) whose efforts (and money and political influence) saved it from certain environmental destruction (getting it entered as world-class environmental treasure under the RAMSAR treaty ... incidentally, an international treaty initiated/negotiated by Iran thru the United Nations), just like he had earlier saved the famed Walden Woods.

A great environmentalist ... and even greater song-writer and singer (and he plays a mean set of drums, too ... he'd be pissed if he knew I was talking about him without mentioning THAT talent *hee*hee*) ...

PS - Don chose the name "Eagles" for his group from the American Bald Eagles (our nation's national symbol) that nested at Caddo Lake, and could often be seen soaring over the lake, fishing for their nesting young, whilst he was swimming and playing at the lake.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMcCHSLMTes

How to tell if someone is lying?

You can also observe the following signs cited from this link:

http://parade.com/57236/viannguyen/former-cia-officers-share-6-ways-to-tell-if-someones-lying/

Finding most of the methods to detect whether a person is telling lies are via observation / visual method.  Not sure what is the best way to detect whether a person is telling lies via telephone / conference call in which we can't see the person?

Stanford researchers uncover patterns in how scientists lie about their data

When scientists falsify data, they try to cover it up by writing differently in their published works. A pair of Stanford researchers have devised a way of identifying these written clues...

Even the best poker players have “tells” that give away when they’re bluffing with a weak hand. Scientists who commit fraud have similar, but even more subtle, tells, and a pair of Stanford researchers have cracked the writing patterns of scientists who attempt to pass along falsified data...

http://news.stanford.edu/2015/11/16/fraud-science-papers-111615/

I read* "It takes two to make a lie: one to tell it and the other to believe it."

* Actually said by a character in a book.

Examples of deception and living a life of deception

http://www.d.umn.edu/~scastleb/Lying Examples.htm

Dear all,

The tragedy is that today there are more people who do not care about truth, who go beyond lying. Lying is a behavior of telling false, knowing what the truth is (the existence of the sense of  lying controls some how people's behaviors for the sake of just society), to deceive and get something that benefits the individual. The new behavior that emerges is that people do not even care about the truth any more and lying is taken as a modern or civilized way of promoting self, magnifying self and achievements with huge factors in every aspect of human endeavor including science to stand out. 

Artur Braun touched on an important point (previous page above) about the need to determine whether the apparent liar is the originator of a lie, or only the carrier of a lie that was told to him, that he believed.

Is it lying if you relay (pass along) a lie, but you earnestly believed in the truthfulness of what you re-told? When you relay unsubstantiated information that turns-out to be untrue (a lie), THEN does that make you a liar?

Most people do not make good eye-witnesses NOT because they are gullible and believe in lies told them by others ... they simply believe their own "lying eyes."

I was fortunate enough to once have attended a seminar taught by the great Elizabeth Loftus (a noted cognitive psychologist and expert on human memory ... and author of a definitive book on the subjects: Eyewitness Testimony ... see link below for bio) who through classroom demonstrations convinced me positively that few people are good eye-witnesses (including me, who as an archaeologist was a trained and experienced observer for minute and subtle details of differences in artifacts and environmental contexts). She demonstrated quite conclusively in her classroom (and in relating esperimental results in her book) that the "truth" of what is observed is ALWAYS colored [to some degree] by personal biases. She made me realize that my own eyes quite often lied to me (and she pointed-out the need for a scientist to take special care to correct/remove personal biases from reports of observations)!

There are thousands of people sitting in American prisons wrongly convicted of crimes on the basis of false testimony of eye-witnesses ... not by willful lies they told ... but by swearing to the truth of lies told to them by their own eyes [and unconsciously re-interpreted and contorted through the filters of their personal biases and badly recorded memories].

Of course, all of this is actually ancient wisdom ... long-ago codified as a commandment of God:

"Thou shalt not bear false witness!"

PS - I'm not a prophet, but what I THINK God meant  is: "If you don't KNOW it to be true, don't say [publish] it!" IMO scientists have a special burden to obey this commandment.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Loftus

Dear Colleagues,

Good Day,

The truest expression of a people is in its dances and its music. Bodies never lie.                                                                          

                                                                  ----  Agnes de Mille

Pathological Lying: Symptom or Disease?

Pathological lying (PL) is a controversial topic. There is, as yet, no consensus in the psychiatric community on its definition, although there is general agreement on its core elements. PL is characterized by a long history (maybe lifelong) of frequent and repeated lying for which no apparent psychological motive or external benefit can be discerned. While ordinary lies are goal-directed and are told to obtain external benefit or to avoid punishment, pathological lies often appear purposeless. In some cases, they might be self-incriminating or damaging, which makes the behavior even more incomprehensible...

http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/articles/pathological-lying-symptom-or-disease

Why does the world lie? Here few possibility

Bottom line: We deceive other people because we think it serves our purposes in some way. And it’s easy!

Lying may seem simple and harmless at first, but just like any addiction, you’ll soon find yourself trapped and entangled more than you could have ever imagined.

Resource: please refer to attached link

https://www.thehopeline.com/107-what-is-lying-why-do-we-do-it/

Some people lie almost all the time. Psychologists call these people compulsive or psychopathic liars. They tell lies even when they don’t have to! Even the youngest of children will lie, especially if they think by doing it they won’t get punished for something. When children first learn how lying works, they lack the moral understanding of when to refrain from doing it. When a leader/politician lies, what would happen to his/her nation?

Although an occasional lie is not a reason for serious concern, teachers should be concerned about a student who lies frequently. Students who lie can become skilled at the behavior; the lying then might become habitual to the point that they lie with little concern for the consequences, which can be considerable.

http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/shore/shore042.shtml

“It is an occupational hazard that anyone who has spent her life learning how to lie eventually becomes bad at telling the truth.” ― Ally Carter

Dear Mahmoud,

Lying is an art. But it could be a science too.

It is not easy to detect chronic liars but liars are liars, they do trip and fall, that is when we catch them. So it is never difficult to catch them actually. Only time, resources and intelligence would tell if such lying is worth following because by then, usually the damage has been done, no matter how small. Still, a little effort to diminish their complete misleading act is better to conduct then to let them "conquer" the situation totally.

ART

- The liars are very creative in their answers. They can create stories way out of the universe but their body, the eyes especially will never tell lies - no matter how chronic the liar is.

Overcoming

- Ask obvious questions say, like where do you live, work, how many family members do you have etc. Then check their action, their speech, their eye movement especially and their body languages. All these would point to their weaknesses. It takes time to master the art of non-verbal communication but background check is easily done.

SCIENCE

- The liars could show you fake statistics, WMD locations, old photos, satellite photos, research papers etc.

Overcoming

- ResearchGate is one of the useful tool to check on the authenticity of such data and information. Internet, social media, old publications, police archives (though restrictive) are still useful. It is easier to use lying inventories depending on the gravity of the situation. The personality inventories, used discretely could be of profound advantage to sniff the liars.

Again, it takes time to recognize if any lying do take place. Once you have identified it, just take the necessary steps to counter such liars. Take note though - time, resources and intelligence are of the essence.

Best regards - Mariam

Dear @Mariam, Thank you for your interesting point: Lying is an art. But it could be a science too.. Indeed, this was said a century ago by René Daumal: "Art has a double face, of expression and illusion, just like science has a double face: the reality of error and the phantom of truth. " — René Daumal  'The Lie of the Truth'. (1938)

Good point, taking a lie as true and acting on it is equally damaging the cause of truth. That is the problem with the world today,  the complacency of people to falsehood and  the disregard to truth. 

Dear Mahmoud,

I do not realize that Daumal has said that a century ago. I am somewhat flattered though the feedback that I gave to you was rather spontaneous and base on my previous experience while working as a regular in the military decades ago.

Though the tactical answers are purely mine and none of my Republic, it stems from my observation as to how - sadly though, your country and few others are gunned down by those "bastion of bastards" under the guise of WMD and what-not.

I pray you, your country and those of the ilk would flourish for the better of her citizens because with peace comes prosperity and the era of extreme civilization.

Best regards - Mariam

Dear @Mariam, Your second and third paragraphs are unrelated and untrue and honestly i did not like them. Needless to say, I guess your claim on some observation you made is purely based on Western propaganda and bias. As a researcher or scientist we should not be rude. This is a nonpolitical discussion. Please dont mix things based on unfounded observations.  If you need further elaboration, you should make a new question so we can make real rebuttal to what is true and what is fact and what is lie. Thank you.

Dear Mahmoud,

Thank you for your pointers. But I beg to differ.

My second paragraph was my personal opinion since I no longer work in the military department therefore I am obliged to indicate that it has nothing to do with those of my country. I am not a Western or Eastern propaganda follower so there is no sentiment or bias here too. Pardon the "rudeness" because that is what I see through my own eyes via the global TV satellites. Anyway, I always mistook your country as Iraq. 

The third paragraph is my sincere wishes but again for the wrong country/countrymen.

Since you mention "US President", "squad", "politicians", "combative" - if those are not political and military, how "unrelated" and "untrue" could my statements be?

Rest assured, I meant well and not to rebut over unnecessary matters. But a US "Professor" has taught me to include profanity in RG and he got away partially with it. Though I am NOT like him, I know my expressions are not misplaced.

True as a researcher, we need to be factful. But do you think all researches done are not without any bias in their observations, findings or statistics at all? Who are the ones to determine that one researcher articles or publications are accurate when we even have predators publishers around us?

Let's rest the case here, it has lost its merit here and now.

Best regards - Mariam

If you do not know the personو I think could find out by the body language, the tone of voice and eye movement. But if you know the person depends on the previous knowledge of it

Nonverbal Signs of Lying

Lying people are more likely to:

• offer shorter responses
• make more speech errors—more um’s, er’s ah’s...
• blink more
• fidget more

On a side note it should be pointed out that:

• People do NOT break eye contact when lying

Interesting link to find details is attached. 

https://www.truthaboutdeception.com/lying-and-deception/detecting-deception/nonverbal-cues.html

A Harvard psychologist explains how to tell if someone is lying to you!

According to Amy Cuddy of the Harvard Business School, there is no one way to tell if someone is lying. However, a series of non-verbal actions do reveal a lot when you are trying to tell if someone is lying...

https://www.indy100.com/article/harvard-psychologist-liar-how-to-spot-one-7386101

http://www.joe.ie/news/heres-how-to-tell-if-someone-is-lying-to-you/565550

>> Mahmoud,

Thanks for the invitation.

You quoted : "It takes two to make a lie : one to tell it and the other to believe it".

Indeed, there are many professional liars who are accepted by all : magicians, illusionists, miracle health sellers, demagogues, etc. etc.

This is because we humans are prompt to longing for realized dream. We have it from our childhood on somewhere in our brain ready to pop up again at any opportunity.

In front of professional liars, we just cannot tell if they are lying : we don't see the signs nor the unspoken language. We only see our dream.

And in front of the other liars, we must arm ourselves (as described in many posts in this thread) in order not to be misled ....  

When you know what the truth is then it is easy to recognise the lie.  

However, don't confuse the liar with the bullshitter.  

A liar knows when they are saying something that is untrue. 

A bullshitter does not know what the truth is but continues talking anyway.  

Perhaps politicians are compulsive bullshitters and aren't actually liars.  

Both mention an unconscious (and universal) gesture typical for somebody lying : to pass a finger under the nose (e.g. quick horizontal back and forth motion of index at nostril level). This would be because microitchings at the base of the nose would reflect at highest degree a discrepancy between our desires and their expression (Turchet).   Therefore the universal character of this gesture.    

About the non verbal signs, I checked two experts :

• Desmond Morris. Body Talk. Jonathan Cape, London (1994)
• Philippe Turchet. La Synergologie. Les Editions de l'Homme, Montréal (2000)

The liar's punishment is, not in the least that he is not believed, but that he cannot believe anyone else. ― George Bernard Shaw

Sometimes, it is hard to tell whether or not a person is lying. But, over time, we will find out. An old saying goes: "One day, when the water is low, the stones will come out". One can run the lie for a moment, hard to lie forever.

Sociopathic personality disorder

Displays heightened levels of deceitfulness in dealings with others,by lying, conning others without remorse, or even using aliases

http://depressiond.org/sociopath-sociopathic-personality-disorder/

Types of Lies

Understanding the different types of lies can go a long way in recognizing the issues that the liar is going through. Eight is listed here:

• White Lies
• Broken Promises
• The Lie of Fabrication
• The Bold-Faced Lie
• The Lying in Exaggeration
• Lies of Deception
• Plagiarism
• Compulsive Lying

For definition of these 8 types of lies, please refer to attached link.

https://www.thehopeline.com/different-kinds-of-lies-you-tell/

I saw the 'White lies' in the collection of the list provided by Mahmoud: 

Should we use 'white lies' occasionally because 'political correct'? Or we shouldn't use it at all?

In long run, white liars can lose their credibility. From my previously introduced link: Patterns of white lies made over time can create distance between you and others, and destroy your credibility.

There are four types of lie that can be characterized by naming them with four colors: Gray, White, Black and Red, based on two dimensions

http://changingminds.org/explanations/behaviors/lying/four_lies.htm

What about a lie to avoid an abuse (of authority, or because the counerpart feels as a king allowed to make anything pleases himself, ...) against you ? You win and the other one loses, so it is a black lie. But, in fact it is not bad for the other one because he can become more educated, more social in his behavior, so it is a grey lie. But you feel guilty to have been forced to react with a lie in order to impose your view, so you lose also in a way and it is a red or a white lie ....?!  

Truth is defined as

speaking words that cause no harm.

- Thirukural (Chapter 30, 291)

People have different level of tolerance toward dishonesty/lying.

A Lie is a Lie, Big or small! Thanks for defining various kinds of lie (white, grey, red, black, etc...). It remind me to quote Bo Bennett: "For every good reason there is to lie, there is a better reason to tell the truth." 

Dear Colleagues,

Good Day,

"How to Detect Lies

Become a Human Lie Detector (Part 1)

Warning: sometimes ignorance is bliss. After gaining this knowledge, you may be hurt when it is obvious that someone is lying to you. The following deception detection techniques are used by police, forensic psychologists, security experts and other investigators.

Introduction to Detecting Lies:

This knowledge is also useful for managers, employers, and for anyone to use in everyday situations where telling the truth from a lie can help prevent you from being a victim of fraud/scams and other deceptions.

This is just a basic run down of physical (body language) gestures and verbal cues that may indicate someone is being untruthful. Remember: these signs don't indicate someone is lying, just that they are more likely to be lying.

If you got here from somewhere else, be sure to check out our Lie Detection index page for more info including new research in the field of forensic psychology. Last update: April 10th, 2013."....

Please, see the rest of the article by pressing on the attached link....

http://www.blifaloo.com/info/lies.php

"Do not harm" - is the golden rule of relationship. It's the only excuse for lie.Sometimes truth can ruin reputation, health, honour, family and friendly relations.These important  values of life can depend on only one word.There are no perfect persons and every human being has a right on mistake. In this situation to tell lie means to save, not to betray, not to ruin.Lie in the name of own profit or envy is betrayal or treachery by itself.I think, that eyes are a mirror of a human being.His aggression. His wish to be closed with hands, things, bad words.Or cruel acts.

Hi Mahmoud Omid,

We have all met people who were dishonest and avoided eye contact. It has been said that

                                       "the eyes are the mirror of the soul"

Many people know that their eyes betray their lies. Some try to conceal the truth by wearing sunglasses of looking down at the ground.

Another thing that forensic interrogators look for is the use of contractions -- words like isn't, doesn't, weren't etc. These usually are used by people telling the truth. On the other hand, people who say is not, does not, were not, etc. are often lying.

They also look for the reactions and facial expressions that accompany what the person is talking about. If someone says "I'm so sad that it happened!" but there is a delay in their expression of sadness, they are probably not being honest. The example is often given of someone who receives a present that they don't like. They often respond with "Wow. It's beautiful, I love it!" and then, some few seconds later, they smile and appear to look happy.

                        "Truthful emotions are spontaneous and instantaneous"

Another method used by professionals is to change the subject. A person who has been telling lies about a particular event will welcome the change of topic and will be visibly relaxed. An innocent suspect or a person who has been telling the truth will usually want to continue the dialog and will find the change of topic puzzling and attempt to regain focus on the topic.

Thankyou.

The surprising personality types who lie the most!

We know sociopaths are prone to dishonesty, but did you know people pleasers are some of the most persistent liars, too?

We’re all guilty of lying – and if you claim otherwise, well, that’s a lie in itself. Whether it’s a half-truth, an omission, over-exaggerating or skipping over parts of the whole story – for the sake of peace, or not – most of us like to think we bend what’s real (and what’s not) for a good reason: to protect someone’s feelings, to ‘keep the peace’, or because the whole truth – and nothing but the truth – might cost us a relationship that’s important to us...

http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/mind-body/wellbeing/the-surprising-personality-types-who-lie-the-most/news-story/727a3f851abb8a52425460c9bcf7e1cc

World's Biggest Liar competition

This is an interesting Wiki page title with link attached.  World's Biggest Liar is an annual competition for telling lies, held in Cumbria, England. Competitors from around the world have five minutes to tell the biggest and most convincing lie they can Competition rules bar the use of props or scripts. Politicians and lawyers are not allowed to enter the competition, because "they are judged to be too skilled at telling porkies".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World%27s_Biggest_Liar

To our proverb, "You should better keep silent not to betray your folly or ignorance"

Manipulative people

“Just because something isn't a lie does not mean that it isn't deceptive. A liar knows that he is a liar, but one who speaks mere portions of truth in order to deceive is a craftsman of destruction.”  ― Criss Jami

Manipulative people are not obvious because they act in a sneaky way. Here are a few ways to see whether someone is lying to you:

- The person is adding unnecessary details to an explanation.

- When you ask for an explanation or a clarification, the person stops and thinks, even though he/she should know the answer right away.

- The person pretends not to know something that he/she obviously knows.

- The person may be laughing nervously.

- The person is not looking at you while speaking, or is looking at you too insistently.

- The person may change the topic of the conversation.

- You feel something is wrong and your body is reacting. Maybe your eyes are squinting and your head is tilted.

Resource: http://www.way-of-the-mind.com/manipulative-people.html

Dear Mahmoud Omid ,

When we interact with people, there is an implicit assumption that the other person has to deal with you in good faith. That's why liars are cunning creatures; They prey on the natural confidence that should exist between human beings in a civilized society. However, you should not be at the mercy of a liar. There are several ways you can tell if someone is lying to you. If your natural suspicions aroused, just look at these signs, and you will become a human lie detector ... or close enough.

Regards, Shafagat

Clinton Versus Trump The Script of a Real-Life Tragedy

When arguments don't count and lies are accepted as truth, when politicians have entire teams working to spread disinformation, democracy as we understand it ceases to exist.

Trump versus Clinton will go down in American history as the dirtiest campaign of all time. It seemed at times as though script writers had let their imaginations run wild. But the consequences for democracy in the United States will be long lasting. By SPIEGEL Staff

For the last year, American democracy has become a circus, one in which the most outlandish gag gets the most applause. And it won't be without consequences: The country will have to live with the scars of this ugly campaign for quite some time to come. Make no mistake: When the advances of civilization are set aside, even if only temporarily, fractures are the result and they aren't easy to repair.

Clinton and Trump have managed to drag US politics -- already not the purest of spectacles -- into the muck. With the help of the hysterical media, they have transformed the race into a soap opera, and this time, reality has far exceeded even our wildest imaginations. Five current and two former US SPIEGEL correspondents have re-watched all of the episodes in this series and documented what has taken place thus far.

Link to original article and the Episodes.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/us-presidential-campaign-

Hi Mahmoud Omid,

All behavior—facial expressions, voice tone, posture, gaze, and proximity—can communicate important information.

Lie detection is a difficult task, and some techniques work part of the time and only with some people. No single technique is effective all of the time under all conditions. There is no approach or question that enables an interviewer to separate lying from truthfulness in every situation. In fact, some methods may decrease the accuracy.

Despite the inherent difficulties of detecting a lie, social scientists are beginning to better understand the psychological, emotional, and behavioral cues associated with deceit.

Finally, Investigators spend time attempting to sort fact from fiction. Despite the belief that it is easy to spot a liar, it actually is difficult to distinguish between truthfulness and deception. This is because no single behavior accurately predicts whether a person is lying. Therefore, rather than focusing on a single behavior, investigators initially should conduct a baseline assessment. They must ask open-ended questions to glean as much information as possible while watching for indicators of emotion, cognition, and control. After completing these steps, investigators may ask closed-ended questions intended to elicit specific responses. Regardless of how promising a particular method may appear, investigators should approach every interview with an appropriate level of skepticism and appreciation for the vast individual differences in behavior and speech, as well as a strong understanding of the case facts.

                  Overall, there is no substitute for a thorough investigation.

Thankyou.

Look into the eyes of the liar and give a smile!

I first try to assess how someone normally speaks. To do that, I begin an interview by asking questions that I know the answers to, like “What’s your full name?” or “Where do you live?” Some folks are naturally animated and talk fast; others are more subdued. Once I know which type of talker a person is, I start asking him questions that I don’t know the answer to. If his manner shifts abruptly—going from calm to agitated or lively to mellow—chances are he’s not telling the truth.

http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/how-to-tell-someone-lying/demeanor-changes

Dear @Mahmoud, as you were treating American elections, there are many lies there.

Sean Hannity: FBI Director James Comey Is Lying About Hillary Clinton's Emails!

Sean Hannity: "Either James Comey Is Lying, Or The FBI Rank And File Are Lying, And I'm Putting My Money That The Rank And File Is Trying To Tell Us The Truth"...

This can contribute to the final election result for president of USA!

http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/11/07/sean-hannity-fbi-director-james-comey-lying-about-hillary-clintons-emails/214372

Dear @Ljubomir Jacić. Thank you for link. It seems the Primary Model by Prof. Norpoth (i posted few days ago -see Page 3 above) which predicted  87%-99% Certain Trump Will Be next US President is working!

http://primarymodel.com/

People choose to lie for a variety of reasons. These motives for not telling the truth typically fall into two categories: lies to benefit the self and lies to benefit the other. People will often tell lies in pursuit of personal gain, to escape punishment, or to make themselves appear better than their characteristics actually deserve. At other times, people will lie to protect another's image, to avoid hurting the other, or to avoid unwanted relational trauma. It is no secret that lies have indeed spared many a person from unnecessary distress and possible harm.

https://www.natcom.org/CommCurrentsArticle.aspx?id=873

 Noticing inconsistencies

When you want to know if someone is lying, look for inconsistencies in what they are saying!

Donald Rump won the election!

@ Liubomir, yes. And news reports said that stock markets crashed around the world when he was leading yesterday. Governments of some Asian countries are going to hold emergent financial meetings, including Japan and Korea. I have not checked today's news yet.

@ Yuan-Yeu Yau

US markets have re-bounded, and I am taking advantage (this afternoon) of the bounce-back to convert almost all my long positions to 6-month short options. I expect to "make a killing" on the abrupt crash after Trump's first HUGE international fiasco (it should take him until early summertime to start the first war ... whether trade-war or otherwise ... withdrawal from NATO, he may get the financial sector fouled-up before then ... I'm shorting my bank-stocks at 90-days ??? ... just pray its not something like a pre-emptive nuclear strike against North Korea or Iran ... which has been the fondest hope of one of the senile-old-generals who seems to be his closest military advisor)

Dear @Bob. Things (market, gold price, ...) are already getting back to normal (as before). Nuclear strikes is out of rich. Trump may soon change his stands for more than 70% of what he said/lied before! Most of his false statements and lies have legal problems and can not be implemented. God bless America!.  

Dear Mahmoud,

You are correct, most of what Trump "promised" were only lies and braggadocio [and even his very extreme political party will not permit him to go crazily out-of-legal-bounds], but the one thing a U.S. president can do (without asking or possibly being overridden by anyone else) is order a nuclear strike ... at his sole discretion as to time and target(s). We can only pray that he is (as appears) mainly only another lying politician out to enrich himself, and not insane (or has the backbone to withstand pressure from insane military advisors).

The hard question isn’t why Clinton lost — it’s why Trump won

Clinton’s loss can be explained. Trump’s win rewrites what we know about American politics. Updated by Ezra Klein

http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/11/11/13578618/why-did-trump-win