Lance Armstrong: Is he being honest?

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I absolutely love this video of Lance Armstrong.

Do you think he is being honest?

I mean he has crossed arm, which people say means he is closed off or defensive, and he gives us a contempt micro-expression, too!

He is actually being honest.

Dead honest.

He would dope again if it were 1995 (under the same circumstances), and he doesn’t believe that today he would need to.

I don’t think there is any reason to doubt his statement because by saying it, he isn’t gaining anything. He actually has a lot to lose–he is showing defiance, a lack of remorse, and more. He is doing the exact opposite of what he needs to if he wants people to give him a second chance. His arrogance is blinding him.

While Lance crosses his arms, he does not show any defensive behavior or signs that he is closed off to this conversation at all. The exact opposite is true. He is showing by his words that he is very open to say “his truth”.

I suspect the reason why Lance is sitting this way with his arms crossed is simple.  It is a comfortable way for him to sit. Sitting with your arms crossed actually does provide comfort for people. It can make you feel more confident, warmer, and safe. Try it and see! And there are times when people cross their arms when they are defensive and closed off, too, but it’s not black or white by any means, and never indicates by itself someone is lying.

I watched a slightly longer version of Lance’s interview and what I get out of it is how he is still very self-centered. That’s shocking considering his situation, but it says a lot about who he is as a person.

Bill Belichick’s Pursed Lips

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Bill Belichick, The New England Patriot’s coach, makes pursed lips in his press interviews this week, and I can hear the people out there saying, “Oh, that indicates he is lying.”

That’s flat out not true. Pursed lips happen for a variety of reasons, and none of them indicate a person is lying.

While a lot of people lying will make this expression, a lot of honest people will make it too!  I can assure you.

To read my thoughts on the Patriots, read my thoughts on Tom Brady here.

Tom Brady on Deflate-gate

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People are wondering what I think after watching this interview of Tom Brady of the New England Patriots.

Do I believe he is telling the truth?

I do not believe him. No.

He gives many clues in this clip that he is not being forthright, and he makes it worse at the end of the clip when he says he doesn’t want anyone touching his balls!

What do you think…

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Body Language of Dogs

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dog bite photo

I have talked about the body language of dogs a few times on my blog, and I think this picture should help a lot of people, and hopefully save children and dogs a lot of pain.

Dogs, as well as many other animals, communicate very clearly, but its the people who don’t take the time to understand the animal.  Dogs actually make facial expressions–think I am crazy, go ahead–but its true.  This dog truly has a furrowed brow.

If you have a dog, stop and make a surprise expression at your dog and see if he or she responds.  Chances are he or she will stop, look at you and appear to be hesitant.  Yes, dogs pick up on our emotions, too.

And their body language is also very clear, if you learn what the signals mean.

You just have to take the time to truly get to know your companion animal to see it.

Please share this!

Myth Busted: “To be honest with you…”

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Many people tell me that when they hear “to be honest with you”, or similarly, “to tell you the truth” and “honestly”, they believe the person is lying.  As they say, why else say it unless you are going to lie?

Listen to Shahid Khan, owner of the American NFL team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, say it above at time marker 10:26.

“Well, I gotta be honest with you, its kind of the only thing that made me a little bit angry,” says Khan about being held at the border after 911 due to being of foreign descent.

Do you think he is lying?

He is not lying.  So why do honest people say this?

I polled people on my Facebook page, and here are some of the responses people gave why they use it:

  • “… I use that, normally… right before I state something reluctantly. If I am aware that the truth is going to illicit a negative reaction from someone, I will us that phrase as a preface, especially after being pestered for information that I would not like to share.”
  • “I think I’ve used the phrase more when I am asked for my opinion on something and I feel that the person asking may not like my opinion after I express it.”
  • “I do say “honestly” and “to be honest” when I’m admitting some kind of harsh truth that I have not wanted to say for fear of a fight. I also say it when I want to emphasize something truthful.”

That makes sense, doesn’t it?  So honest people use these terms, too.

Can a liar use these phrases?

Absolutely. 

But is this a reliable clue to deception?

I don’t believe it is.

Unless we can delineate why we know its a lie versus when it is the truth, then I would caution people from making assumptions because its not much better than a coin toss otherwise.

Below Katy Perry say, “I’ll be honest. Sometimes I just watch the Super Bowl for the half time show and the commercials.”

See time marker :25.

Is she telling the truth?

Absolutely!

She is absolutely telling the truth and doing exactly what others said above–prefacing her statement because she doesn’t think it is going to be liked! Katy Perry gives us a micro-expression of fear before she begins, and then covers her face because she is slightly embarrassed she admitted it!

If you recall, Katy first replied with “I love the Super Bowl, of course”–that’s what caused her pause. With her next statement, she basically admits she doesn’t love the game for necessarily “the game”, and she honestly tells you why!