

16: How to Spot a Liar
Let’s face it, we all lie. Many of those lies are innocent white lies with the intent of making the other person look or feel better (That jacket looks great on you!) but other lies are much more hurtful and impactful (think: the Fyre Festival).
Most people can’t spot a lie because humans are wired to believe one another. In this episode of Confident Communications, I’m sharing the common reasons we lie, which gender is more likely to lie, the lies each gender tell and which gestures can be misconstrued as lying (and which are dead giveaways for lies).
Not only that, but I’ll use a simple trick that will tell you whether you’re more prone to telling lies.
This episode is for parents, spouses, colleagues, customers, leaders--anyone who wants to become a human lie detector. I’m not going to lie...it will come in handy!
Mentioned in this episode
- Fyre festival documentaries on Hulu and Netflix
- 1:4 people think it’s okay to lie on an insurance form
- By age of 4, 90% of children will understand the concept of a lie
- 60% of adults can’t have a 10 min conversation without lying at least once
- Men lie twice as much as women
- Women more comfortable with lying than men (Neurs study?)
- Liespotting: Proven Techniques to Detect Deception by Pamela Meyer
- Chris Watts home search
- Alex Rodriguez admits to using steroids
- Bill Clinton - I did not have sexual relations with that woman
About Molly
Molly McPherson, M.S., APR, combin
The media tool I use to track stories, monitor coverage, and help clients get their message in the right hands. Click here to learn more.
Want More Behind the Breakdown?
Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, exclusive member chats, weekly lives, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It's the insider’s hub for communicators who want strategy with spine—and a little side-eye where it counts.
Follow Molly → @MollyMcPherson
Subscribe to PR Breakdown on Substack → prbreakdown.media
Click here to subscribe to Molly's live events.
Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting.
This podcast is supported by Muck Rack, the PR management platform I use to monitor media coverage, track journalist activity, and inform high-stakes strategy with real-time data. Click here to try Muck Rack for yourself.
Follow & Connect with Molly: