The ability to read character and detect false statements has been scientifically disproved. Here are some alternatives. A few weeks ago I published “Putting the lie to lie detection,” Keep the Joint Running, 7/28/2008. It provided four cues to help you detect disguised nonsense (“Male Bovine Excreta or MBE, if you catch my drift) and evidence that your ability to read character isn’t one of them: Juxtaposition — comparing two independently plausible but mutually incompatible statements.Plausibility — using back-of-the-envelope math to test the likelihood of a proposition.Desirability — recognizing attempts to manipulate you by telling you what you’d like to hear.Past performance — being skeptical when someone’s earlier truth-stretching, spinning, and half-truth-telling gives you insights into their character.It triggered this exchange with regular correspondent Harold Bonacquist: Harold: As a former litigator with many years’ experience, I know only too well my own inability to tell if someone is lying based on gut feeling. Your indicators are a much better way to go about it. A couple more: Incentive — Most people, if they stand to gain significantly by lying, will do so. This is a good indicator as well to determine whether someone will keep their word (or contract), which is why you never want to drive too hard a bargain. Indeed, under our law, parties are expected and encouraged to break their contracts if it is in their economic interest (net of compensation paid for the breach) to do so.Surrounding Circumstances — Is the statement consistent with other facts known? This is a variation on your “plausibility” indicator, but is inductive not deductive.Bob: Thanks for the reinforcement, and the additional indicators. Funny thing about incentives — I agree with you. I’m also pretty sure that it is exceedingly rare that someone who lies under these circumstances thinks they’re really lying. This is one of the situations in which the human ability to rationalize kicks into high gear. Harold: You are SOO right. Rare indeed is the witness who thinks that s/he is a bad person, or has not been telling the truth. Witnesses never admit to lying, because they’ve convinced themselves otherwise. Brings up a related point — how many of us are honest about our own lying? If we can’t tell the truth about our own lying, how can we expect to notice when others lie? As I caution young lawyers, never buy into your own b* (MBE – Bob) — but of course we all do. A severe problem not just for the legal system, but more generally for all managers and their organizations. And governments. Reminds me of the final couplet of a Shakespeare sonnet (from memory, perhaps not exact): So I lie to her And she lies to me And thus by our lies We comforted be. Feel free to quote me, but the Bard said it best, as usual. Technology Industry