The Book of Tells (Peter Collett)[unlocked]

LYING TELLS
the eyes bulging and the jaw thrust forward, appeared on
her face. The anger that Mrs Thatcher had managed to hide
broke through. But no sooner had it appeared, than it was
removed and her masked expression was reinstated.
The way that people react when they are no longer
required to convince others that they're telling the truth
can also provide subtle clues to deceit. For example, most
travellers passing through customs have nothing to fear
because they're not carrying any contraband. The
smuggler, on the other hand, needs to keep up the
pretence of appearing normal, and usually manages to
carry it off. What often distinguishes the smuggler as he
walks through customs is the muscular tension in his body.
Because it's not apparent how he normally walks, these
tensions are very difficult to spot. What is noticeable, however,
is what happens when the smuggler has gone past
the customs officials. It's at this point, when he has nothing
more to worry about, that the smuggler is likely to relax his
body and to produce a tension release tell. The change
that occurs is seldom dramatic - it usually takes the form
of a slight lowering of the shoulders - but it's possible to
detect. The fact that someone relaxes as he passes through
customs suggests that he sees the customs officials as a
threat and that he has something to hide. Inevitably, there
are some people who feel tense about going through
customs even when they have nothing to hide, and who
are therefore likely to exhibit the same tension release tell
as the guilty smuggler. This only goes to show that while
tells are highly informative, they don't always offer a
Perfect guide to what is happening in people's heads.
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