Anyway, that means we have a bunch of new music releases coming out tomorrow.  Which one (if any) are you most looking forward to?

First, look the person right in the eyes. This is a good practice whether you suspect him of lying or not, but its even more important when you are trying to determine the degree of truth in someone’s words. Pay particular attention to where he is looking. If he fails to make consistent eye contact with you, that may be a sign that he is feeling uneasy and is looking for an escape route.

The direction that he is looking is a wonderful little sign to take note of. If you know the person is right-handed, and his eyes seem to look to his left more than to his right, you may have a liar on your hands. (Reverse this if he is left-handed). In general, a right-handed person looks to the left when they are accessing the creative portions of the brain, while they look to the right when accessing the memory portions. So if your suspect is gazing to the left during your conversation, he might very well be making up a story right in front of your face.

The final clue that his eyes will give you has to do with the amount of blinking he does. If his blinking frequency has increased noticeably, that’s a bad sign (assuming, of course, that you don’t want him to be lying; if you do want him to be lying, I can’t help you).

If you can’t get a good determination from his eyes, take a look at his hands. If he is using mostly aggressive gestures, such as pointing or making a fist, he might be lying. An honest person is much more likely to touch his chest with an open hand, or reach toward you with an open hand, which is more welcoming and far less defensive.

Another thing he may do with his arms that would indicate a possible lie is to cross them. As with aggressive gestures, this is a defensive act, and someone who is lying is apt to be on the defensive. Along those lines, a telltale sign of a liar is when he tries to turn the tables on you. If he accuses you of lying, or changes the subject (especially if he mentions a mistake or lie you made in the past) then he is trying to deflect the situation back on to you. He is projecting his guilt on you in a last-ditch effort to defend himself.

As you have probably noticed, the key to catching a liar is in his non-verbal communication. Obviously, if he attacks you verbally, you can be sure he is hiding something. But most people will be much more subtle when they are covering something up. So watch those eyes, and those hands, and take note of everything. It’s usually a combination of things that will give you the truth.

Sometimes, however, you just have to trust your gut.

Once, when I was in boot camp for the U.S. Navy, they put me in a locked room and released tear gas into it. I was stuck in there for over a minute, and it was excruciating. The pain was horrible. That experience, however, pales in comparison to the dread I feel when searching for a gift for my significant other. I have learned a few tips along the way, though, and I’ve managed to become at least an average gift-buyer.

A general rule of thumb is to not buy anything that adheres to the traditional gender roles employed by women. Even if your girl is the best cook in the entire world – and even though it is a well known fact that women are much better in the kitchen then men – try to stay away from kitchen equipment and cooking utensils. She wants to know that you put thought into her gift, and are not just validating her role as the caretaker in the relationship.  Along those same lines, avoid cleaning tools. You may watch her as she toils to keep the house spotless, and you are certain that the newest handy-dandy broom apparatus will do wonders for her in getting her chores done, but don’t buy it. That is a guaranteed one-way ticket to the couch, and that’s if you’re lucky. Such a gift is like you telling her, “You’re a great maid, keep up the good work!” That is definitely not a good way to sweet talk your precious woman.

I do have a message for the ladies, though. Men, for the most part, are atrocious at buying gifts. A lot of times, we will buy things like cooking utensils or cleaning tools thinking that they will actually help you, and thinking that you will actually like them. We are not purposely trying to make you feel used or unappreciated, we just don’t think about the negative connotations of such gifts. So please keep that in mind as you are unwrapping your presents, and try to take it easy on us.

Men, when you are shopping for your girl, try to find a gift that is unique and that shows you appreciate her – not as the cooking, cleaning master that she is, but as the loving, caring woman that makes you a better man.

But, just to be safe, hide the knives before she opens it.

(Originally published by the author on Helium.com)