In an ideal world, nobody would ever have to worry about their significant other being unfaithful or untruthful. But unfortunately, a large number of relationships continue to struggle with these issues. If you’re worried that this could be happening in your relationship, we’re here to help. This list reveals 19 signs your partner might be lying to you.
Irregular Eye Contact
According to NBC News, contrary to popular belief, liars don’t always avoid eye contact more than usual. However, it’s still true that lying can make eye contact more uncomfortable or deliberate. Therefore, if you notice that your partner seems to be making more or less eye contact than usual when telling you something, it’s possible they could be lying.
Inconsistencies in Their Stories
Untruthful individuals often find it difficult to keep up with all their lies. As a result, you can sometimes spot inconsistencies in their stories or details. So if you notice that what your partner is telling you is changing over time, you might want to consider whether they could be lying.
Increased Nervousness
Lying isn’t easy or comfortable, so people who do so often become visibly nervous and anxious. This can cause them to display physical symptoms such as fidgeting, stammering, or sweating. They may also touch their hair or face more often than usual.
Defensive Responses
As noted by Verywell Mind, defensiveness is common among people who are trying to hide the truth about something. If your partner becomes surprisingly angry or indignant when you ask them a question about something, this could be a sign that they’re being dishonest.
Unexplained Lateness
Is your partner always showing up late without an explanation that makes sense to you? If so, this may be because they don’t have a good reason you’d want to hear. You may also notice that they do their best to avoid talking about their whereabouts or the details of what they were doing.
Overly Detailed Explanations
On the flip side, some liars will overcompensate by going into too much detail about what they’ve been doing or where they’ve been, sometimes including irrelevant facts that seem out of place. This is their way of trying to make you believe them and avoiding further questions.
Changes in Speech Patterns
While it can be difficult to recognize suspicious speech patterns in a stranger, it can be easier with someone you know very well. If your partner seems to be speaking more slowly or quickly than usual, this could be a sign of deception. They might also pause for a long time before answering or change their tone or pitch.
Avoiding Specific Topics
Does your significant other seem to change the subject whenever a certain topic or person comes up in conversation? If so, this could mean that there’s something about this subject that makes them feel vulnerable and worried, possibly meaning that there’s something they’re hiding from you.
Sudden Need for Privacy
It’s normal and healthy for people in relationships to hold onto some degree of privacy and independence. However, when someone suddenly becomes secretive about their phone or devices and says that they don’t want you to invade their privacy, this could mean that they’re hiding something from you.
Contradictory Body Language
According to CBC, when people lie, their body language often doesn’t match up with what they’re saying. For example, they may say “yes” while shaking their heads “no,” or vice versa. This is a subconscious sign that your partner might be lying to you.
Frequent Touching of Face
While people can touch their faces for all sorts of trivial reasons, if they seem to be doing it more than usual, it could be an indicator of deception. People sometimes do this because it helps them self-soothe and manage the stress they feel because of their lies.
Overcompensation
Liars will sometimes overcompensate with their actions as a way to cover up their feelings of guilt. So if your partner suddenly showers you with gifts or becomes much more affectionate than usual, especially after behavior you find suspicious, this may be because they’re hiding something.
Quick to Agree or Apologize
While it may initially feel nice when your partner quickly agrees with you or apologizes for wrongdoings, this behavior could be hiding something more sinister. People sometimes do this because it helps them avoid further questions, attention, or suspicion about their actions.
Vagueness in Sharing Information
Thankfully, lying doesn’t come naturally to everyone. When this is the case, your partner may be vague in their answers or seem to struggle with answering specific questions. They might also be strangely ambiguous in their language. People sometimes do this because it helps them avoid lying directly.
Unusual Emphasis
If you know your partner well, you can often tell when they’re putting emphasis on words that don’t make sense or seem out of character for them. While they may be doing this as a way to make their lies seem more convincing, it can do the opposite, helping you catch them in the act of lying.
Sudden Changes in Subject
Some people are used to swiftly moving from subject to subject in conversations, so this isn’t always a sign of deception. However, if your partner is suddenly doing this more than usual or around specific topics, this could be because they’re avoiding talking about things that could lead to uncomfortable questions about their lies.
Excessive Justification
People who lie will sometimes come up with justifications for their actions, choices, or behaviors, even if you didn’t specifically ask about them. This can help them feel like they’re covering their tracks and deterring you from asking further questions that could uncover their lies.
Isolation from Friends and Family
Most people think that the action of separating one’s partner from their friends and family is a sign of manipulation. However, while this is true, it can also be a way for liars to prevent you from finding out more information that could expose their dishonesty.
Indirect Answers
As noted by MindBodyGreen, liars will often attempt to avoid your questions or use very few details in their answers. This can make them feel like they’re not lying directly, even if they know they’re not telling you the full truth. They might also answer by telling you about details that don’t directly relate to your question.
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