Can you spot a liar? Can you detect whether someone is telling you the truth or not?

Many of us can unconsciously detect a lie without consciously knowing why. Others find it hard to tell the difference. Those who study lying say that if you or I tell a fib, we will reveal ourselves easily by our facial expressions, lack of eye contact, restlessness, or discomfort. This is because somewhere inside, we feel uncomfortable with our own inauthenticity. Most people are terrible liars. A few get better at it as a matter of course. But like any gift, some have a natural gift for lying.

These kinds of people often see lying not as deceptive but simply as opportunity or part of their job. In a sense, all writers, actors, and advertisers to some extent “lie.” They create an alternative “truth” tha…