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Sometimes finding the truth is as difficult as finding a particular tree in the forest

Sir Walter Scott said:

"Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!" How may you a catch a person in his or her own web of lies?

Micro Expressions

In the Fox television series Lie to Me, Cal Lightman, portrayed by Tim Roth, uses his skill at detecting micro expressions that indicate lying to help his clients. The show is based upon Paul Ekman who uses the same techniques to assist law enforcement, the military, and intelligence agencies in detecting lies.

Micro expressions are small expressions that unconsciously flash on a person face for less than one-fifth of a second that reflect what a person is really thinking regardless of what the person is saying. If the person is aware of the existence of micro expressions, the person may be able to suppress them or present false ones.

Detecting lies is more of an art than a science. Micro expressions must be interpreted while considering the context and the situation in which they are made, and the person making them. Since there is no single expression that indicates lying, all physical expressions, the context they are used in, and the circumstances in which they are used are must be considered. Not all this can be done scientifically; it more of a learned art that takes much trial and error to perfect. Sometimes the interpretation is correct, sometimes it is incorrect, so lie detection is only one of many tools that may be used when trying to determine if a person is lying.

Sometimes, micro expressions may be misinterpreted. Ekman calls this error "Othello's Error." In the Shakespeare’s classic Othello, Othello interprets the look of fear on his wife's face as proof of her infidelity. However, in fact, she was merely afraid that Othello did not trust her.

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