Spy the Lie: Former CIA Officers Teach You How to Detect Deception

by Philip Houston

FAILURE TO ANSWER. If you ask someone a question and he doesn’t give you what you ask for, there’s a reason for that. One possible reason is that the facts aren’t on his side, and he’s trying to figure out how to deal with that. Now, should you immediately conclude that the person is lying because he didn’t give you what you asked for? Absolutely not. Always remember the cluster rule—we need more than just that single behavior. After all, there could be other explanations. Have you ever spoken with someone who just can’t seem to get to the point? Or the person might not have understood the question, or thought he heard a different question? DENIAL PROBLEMS. Closely related to the failure to answer is the absence of an explicit denial of something in your question that involves an act of wrongdoing, or has consequences associated with it.