Meet Paul Ekman
Paul Ekman is a psychologist who co-discovered “micro-expressions.” He’s often called “the human lie detector” and he’s considered the world’s deception detection expert. He’s the inspiration behind the hit series, “Lie to Me” and he consulted on the movie Inside Out. He’s also trained organizations, such as police departments and the TSA, on how to tell when someone is lying. He’s authored many books and offers online trainings in micro-expressions, the key component in learning how to detect lies.
Why Paul Ekman Is Mentally Strong
Dr. Ekman discovered how micro-expressions could help him detect whether people were telling the truth. He was approached by a President who wanted to learn how to lie better—but he declined to teach him. Dr. Ekman has made a huge impact on the world. His research on emotional expressions and which ones are universal and which ones are culture-specific has taught us a lot about feelings. His work has led to a much greater understanding of nonverbal communication and emotions.
What You’ll Hear on the Show
What microexpressions are and how to recognize them Why people tell lies How we overestimate our ability to detect deception Why we should examine the potential consequences of uncovering the truth Why you should think about the reason you want to get better at detecting lies (and what that might say about you) The link between assuming others are being honest and happiness Why people in certain professions shouldn’t assume others are being honest The types of lies Dr. Ekman can detect and which ones he can’t Why we tend to believe people who are lying The three things you need to look at if you want to tell if someone is lying
What You’ll Learn About Mental Health and Mental Strength
The way we communicate often speaks volumes about our mental health and our emotions. A flat affect could be indicative of a mental illness, like schizophrenia or slow movements may be a sign of depression. Those changes may interfere with our ability to communicate effectively with others. On the flipside, sometimes changing our body language can improve our mental health (something we discussed in episode 139, Fake a Smile to Have a Better Day.
Quotes From Dr. Ekman
“People who believe others are being truthful to them tend to live longer. “Very often people are misled because they want to be misled and they’re even unaware of the fact that they don’t want to know the truth. It’s too painful to learn.” “We don’t tell the truth because we don’t wanna offend someone. We don’t want to hurt someone.”
More About the Podcast
The Verywell Mind Podcast is available across all streaming platforms. If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Reviews and ratings are a great way to encourage other people to listen and help them prioritize their mental health too. If You Liked This Episode, You Might Also Like These Episodes For media or public speaking inquiries, contact Amy here.
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