04/01/2026

ON SUNDAY January 4, 2026 X theSunday Special

Learn the subtle body signals that reveal when someone is lying How to catch a liar

7KLV UHDFWLRQ LV URRWHG LQ ELRORJ\ 7KH body protects its most delicate area when it senses emotional threat. A light rub under the chin or a touch at the base of the throat is the body’s attempt to soothe itself by stimulating the vagus nerve, which helps calm stress. It’s the same reason a nervous child might tug at their collar while insisting they’ve done nothing wrong. If words deny discomfort but the hand PRYHV WR WKH QHFN EHOLHYH WKH KDQG 7KH ERG\ NQRZV ORQJ EHIRUH WKH YRLFH DGPLWV it. 4. The eyes 7 hey say the eyes may be windows to the soul, but they’re also mirrors of the mind under pressure. It is surprisingly easy to detect when someone is not being entirely honest. 7KHLU SXSLOV PD\ GLODWH VOLJKWO\ DV WKH EUDLQ SURFHVVHV HPRWLRQDO VWUHVV %OLQNLQJ patterns change as well – either increasing due to anxiety or slowing dramatically as the person tries to maintain control. A GGLWLRQDOO\ UDSLG EOLQNLQJ SURORQJHG VWDULQJ RU IUHTXHQW EUHDNV LQ H\H FRQWDFW FDQ DOO KLQW DW LQQHU FRQÀLFW WKRXJK QRQH of these behaviours indicate dishonesty on their own. 7KH NH\ LV WR QRWLFH KRZ WKH H\HV EHKDYH GL̆ HUHQWO\ ZKHQ D VHQVLWLYH WRSLF DULVHV 5. The hand If you occasionally deal with people in EXVLQHVV \RX¶OO NQRZ WKDW KDQGV DFW DV emotional translators. W KHQ WUXWK ÀRZV HDVLO\ JHVWXUHV DUH natural and rhythmic. When deceit enters the room, the hands tend to hesitate, hide or overcompensate. Some people touch their face, clasp WKHLU SDOPV RU ¿GJHW ZLWK REMHFWV WR VHOI soothe; others become unnaturally still, as though afraid that movement might betray them.

When discomfort arises, the lips tend to “disappear” into the face, a universal sign of suppressed emotion. I W¶V HDV\ WR QRWLFH RQFH \RX VWDUW ORRN ing. Someone might smile politely, yet their lips remain thin and tense. 7 o put it in perspective, pressed lips signal restraint, whether it’s anger, guilt, RU IHDU EHLQJ FRQWDLQHG 7KH\ RIWHQ DSSHDU before denial, as though the body seals itself before the brain can craft an excuse. 3. The neck “Between the nape and the hollow of the throat lies what experts call the power zone,” said Shahrom. 7KH DUHD LV NQRZQ DV RQH RI WKH ERG\¶V most honest regions. It’s also the most vulnerable. When a person feels anxious, defensive or embarrassed, they instinctively touch RU FRYHU WKHLU QHFN

WKH ERG\¶V ¿JKW RU ÀLJKW UHVSRQVH VZHDW glands activate as a defence mechanism against a perceived social threat. Observing these subtle signals often reveals deception. 2. The mouth 7 he mouth is where lies are born, but the lips are where they begin to collapse. W KHQ VRPHRQH KROGV EDFN HPRWLRQ RU information, pay attention to the muscles around the lips that automatically tighten – the body’s way of shutting the door to communication. “ 7KH OLSV WHOO WKH VWRU\ WKH PRXWK UH fuses to,” explained Shahrom. “In counselling or interviews, I often notice this signal appearing before some one denies something, not after. It’s the body’s way of preparing to ‘seal the truth’ before the brain has even formulated a ORJLFDO MXVWL¿FDWLRQ ´

Y OU can lie with words, but your body rarely plays along. ,W WZLWFKHV ÀLQFKHV DQG EHWUD\V you in the smallest ways. No matter how calm your voice sounds, the body has a language of its own – one that refuses to stay silent. Every day, we swim through an ocean RI WLQ\ JHVWXUHV D ÀLFNHU LQ WKH H\HV D VKLIW LQ SRVWXUH D WRXFK DW WKH QHFN 7R WKH untrained eye, they’re meaningless. But to a body language analyst, they reveal more than words ever could. Here’s how to identify when someone is lying to you. 1. The forehead If you want to see whether someone is O\LQJ WKH IRUHKHDG LV RQH RI WKH ¿UVW SODFHV to betray deception. A furrowed brow isn’t always confusion or anger; it’s often the EUDLQ ¿JKWLQJ LWVHOI “ 7KH IRUHKHDG LV WKH VLOHQW EDWWOH¿HOG between logic and emotion,” said Shah rom Hassan, a body language expert at Pakar Bahasa Badan, with over 12 years of experience in non-verbal communica tion in Malaysia and Brunei. “When someone lies, their prefrontal cortex – the area responsible for moral reasoning – becomes more active as LW MXJJOHV WUXWK DQG IDEULFDWLRQ 7KDW PHQWDO FRQÀLFW VKRZV XS DV PLFUR WHQVLRQ between the eyebrows, a phenomenon NQRZQ DV FRJQLWLYH GLVVRQDQFH ´ KH DGGHG So when a person insists, “I really don’t NQRZ DQ\WKLQJ DERXW WKDW ´ ZKLOH WKHLU brow tightens, that subtle crease isn’t FRQIXVLRQ ± LW¶V UHVLVWDQFH 7KH PLQG LV rejecting something it recognises as true. Sweating across the forehead can also signal psychological stress rather than physical heat. When deception triggers BY AQILAH NAJWA JAMALUDDIN

A composed smile can mask stress, but the body often tells a different story.