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The Book of Tells (Peter Collett)[unlocked]

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THE BOOK OF TELLS<br />

differently from those who start out with the conviction<br />

that they're telling the truth.<br />

Masking <strong>Tells</strong><br />

When someone knowingly tells a lie they have to hide two<br />

things - firstly the truth, and secondly any emotions that<br />

might arise out <strong>of</strong> their attempts at concealment. <strong>The</strong><br />

emotions that liars feel are generally negative - feelings<br />

like guilt, or fear about being found out - but liars can also<br />

experience the thrill <strong>of</strong> pulling the wool over other<br />

people's eyes - what Paul Ekman has called 'duping<br />

delight'. 18 When people tell small, innocuous lies they<br />

usually don't feel any negative emotions at all. However,<br />

when they're telling big lies, and there's a lot at stake, they<br />

<strong>of</strong>ten experience very powerful negative emotions that<br />

need to be concealed if the lie is to remain hidden. A<br />

negative emotion can be concealed by turning away the<br />

head, by covering the face with the hands, or by masking it<br />

with a neutral or a positive emotion. <strong>The</strong> strategies <strong>of</strong> turning<br />

away and covering the face don't always work because they<br />

tend to draw attention to what the liar is trying to conceal.<br />

Masking, on the other hand, enables liars to present an<br />

exterior that isn't necessarily connected with lying.<br />

<strong>The</strong> most commonly used masks are the 'straight face' and<br />

the smile. <strong>The</strong> straight face requires the least effort - in order<br />

to mask his negative emotions all the liar needs to do is put<br />

his face into repose. <strong>The</strong> smile is potentially more effective as<br />

a mask because it suggests that the person is feeling happy<br />

and contented - in other words, experiencing emotions that<br />

one doesn't normally associate with lying.<br />

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