Lying . We all do it almost daily, though in varying degrees. Some of us have made a habit of lying through our teeth, while others are masters in the art of little white lies that often go unnoticed. Whatever one's propensity for lying, we can usually detect lies through certain verbal and non-verbal cues, some of which I elaborate on below: 1. Eye contact : If a person is having a hard time maintaining eye contact while talking to you, it usually means they're hiding something. For example, let's say the person you're chatting with routinely looks at the floor or ceiling during the conversation. Yes, this can be indicative of sheer boredom or a lack of self-confidence, but in most cases, it signals that the individual can't deliver his or her words with conviction. Instead, he or she is displaying the kind of sheepishness characteristic of a person caught in a lie -- or about to be caught in one. 2. Speech patterns : When someone is lying, they're more...

Ever feel like people around you are watching you, but when you look straight at them, they have their attention fixed elsewhere? That may just be the spotlight effect at play -- a phenomenon in which people perceive that they are being noticed more than they really are. Human beings are the center of their own world, but they tend to forget they're not the center of everyone else's. We go to great lengths to look good for social functions and so forth, but unless we're planning to give, say, a speech or toast, there's no reason to assume all eyes will be on us all the time. Of course, things may happen that can cause the spotlight to be on you. For example, you may slip while walking across the room, or you may be wearing very eccentric clothing that may prompt people to direct their attention to you. The way I see it, the spotlight effect is akin to being in a heightened state of self-consciousness. One might assume that everyone will notice her torn shirt. Un...

Let's face it: Everyone loves to be checked out and complimented--as long as it isn't done in a creepy, stalker-ish way--especially by someone we find attractive. It boosts our self-confidence and self-esteem, no question. The problem I find, though, is that many people-- particularly men-- assume someone is checking them out only because they made eye contact with them. Just because I look a woman in the eyes doesn't mean I'm checking her out. I might see someone coming my way (via my peripherals) and may simply want to see who it is. Guys are notorious for seeing more than is really there, especially those who are (1) shy (2) timid (3) not accustomed to interacting much with women. Women are usually more adept at noticing someone who's sizing them up. They are also much more subtle when it comes to checking out men who catch their eye. Now, catching someone staring or looking at you multiple times are usually tell-tale signs that you are being checked ou...

Let's face it: Most men haven't a clue whether a woman is interested in him or not. What's particularly irksome is when a guy makes eye contact with a woman and takes that to mean that she is interested in him. To those guys I pose this question: If you're a heterosexual male who happens to make eye contact with another male, would you say that the guy is interested in you? No, right? So why assume that a woman is? When something comes into your vision sight that you may not be looking at directly -- whether it be a bird, car, or UFO -- you won't be able to pinpoint what it is until you turn your head and look, right? So why can't guys reason that you both made eye contact for that very reason? What's more, many guys (including some of my friends) assume that if an attractive woman so much as talks to him, she must be digging him. I think many males' testosterone levels go bonkers when they get any sort of attention from a woman. That exciting ru...