Newsflash: Liars exposed by blinking

By Michelle Malkin  •  August 20, 2008 06:16 AM

Science catches up to common wisdom. Nancy Blink-Blink Pelosi, you’ve been exposed:

Liars are exposed by blinking
Daily Telegraph

The best way to spot a liar is to look them in the eyes, according to scientists who say the number of times a person blinks will show if they are speaking the truth.

Liars blink less frequently than normal during the lie, and then speed up to around eight times faster than usual afterwards.

The findings, reported in the Journal of Non-verbal Behaviour, means that blink rates could soon be used by professionals, such as the police and security forces, to tell when someone is being duplicitous.

Dr Sharon Leal, co-author of the study at Portsmouth University, said: “It is striking what different patterns in eye blinks emerged for liars and truth tellers.

Yeah, no kidding.

Flashback: The Nancy Pelosi Blink Count…

Wonder what science says about politicians whose “Uh” counts are sky-high:

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Comments


  1. #1
    On August 20th, 2008 at 6:31 am, Croaker said:

    Always figured it was a reaction to massive amounts of botox, Pelosi should start paying whomever trained Al Gore to control his lids.

  2. #2
    On August 20th, 2008 at 6:43 am, Kaitian said:

    Give the man a teleprompter and his “uhh” problem magically disappears.

  3. #3
    On August 20th, 2008 at 6:44 am, zorro said:

    “It is striking what different patterns in eye blinks emerged for liars and truth tellers.

    Good stuff Michelle. We all knew this was true, nice to read it is documented.

  4. #4
    On August 20th, 2008 at 6:48 am, CoffeeGuzzler said:

    The photo was done by an excellent photographer and a very high speed camera. I can’t imagine getting a pic of pelosi’s eyes while open or not extreamly blurred. During this POTUaddress I also remember her doing disgusting things with her lips, smacking, sucking, etc… I had to look away to hear Bush speak because pelosi was so distracting.

  5. #5
    On August 20th, 2008 at 6:59 am, twiggman said:

    Now she will have her doctor sew open her eye lids…..great!!!!

  6. #6
    On August 20th, 2008 at 7:07 am, TMoney said:

    I beleive readers of MichelleMalkin.com were pretty much already aware of this piece of information – her readers are bright and informed, you see.

    My question is, since this phenomenon is common sense already, how much tax money was spent to have some academic write it down? I’m not a fan of tax-backed studies that document common knowledge.

  7. #7
    On August 20th, 2008 at 7:17 am, Anita said:

    Once upon a time, Fox was good at doing things like this. But, BOR nowadays?

  8. #8
    On August 20th, 2008 at 7:25 am, guitarplayer said:

    On August 20th, 2008 at 6:59 am, twiggman said:

    Now she will have her doctor sew open her eye lids…..great!!!!

    And I thought she was scary-looking now. With her eyes wide-open all the time…#shudder#

  9. #9
    On August 20th, 2008 at 7:28 am, maine yankee said:

    It’s not the eyes;

    How can you tell if Nancy’s telling a lie ?

    Her lips are moving.

  10. #10
    On August 20th, 2008 at 7:29 am, garyganu said:

    Whenever I see Nancy Pelosi on TV, it looks like she is on some type of psychotropic medication. She has facial twitches and it appears that she has a dry mouth. Wouldn’t it be prudent to ban lawmakers that have psychological issues that require medication? There is much hysteria about the widespread use of steroids in sports. If an athlete uses performance enhancing drugs, the worst result is that he is cheating & lowering the integrity of that sport. If our highest public servants are not held to the same standards, the mistakes that could be made while they are under the influence of drugs may be much more far-reaching than altering the result of an athletic contest. Some medications warn the user not drive or operate heavy machinery. Shouldn’t psychotropic medications warn users not to make decisions affecting national security while under the influence these drugs? I propose random mandatory drug testing of all members of Congress, Cabinet members, Supreme Court justices, & up to & including the President. If a government official is taking a prescription drug for depression, for example, maybe (s)he shouldn’t have all that power & responsibility if (s)he is so depressed.

  11. #11
    On August 20th, 2008 at 7:35 am, purplepeep said:

    zorro said:

    “It is striking what different patterns in eye blinks emerged for liars and truth tellers.”

    Good stuff Michelle. We all knew this was true, nice to read it is documented.

    Actually, Zorro, I think Michelle is having some fun here at the media’s expense partly due to this hardly being a newsflash. The blink-count has long been a widely-known tool in reading people, esp as pertains to honest statements.

    Another thing people will sometimes unknowingly do is cover their mouths while telling falsehoods. There’s quite a few such “tells” if you’re lookin’ for ‘em.

    This is one of my fave areas in communication; I might get even more into it during a convo and observe such things as which direction the eyes look in response to misc queries. Interesting stuff.

  12. #12
    On August 20th, 2008 at 7:38 am, DogBreath said:

    I wish I had a camera with the shutter speed of Pelosi’s eyeballs.

  13. #13
    On August 20th, 2008 at 7:40 am, b-cat said:

    This was all in a book I read when in high school about body language. That was more years ago than I care to admit. Hardly new “findings”.

  14. #14
    On August 20th, 2008 at 7:40 am, Send_Me said:

    I say this in jest, but I’m about to the point where I’d still love to see every politician polygraphed before they take office.

  15. #15
    On August 20th, 2008 at 7:44 am, b-cat said:

    On August 20th, 2008 at 7:29 am, garyganu said:
    I propose random mandatory drug testing of all members of Congress, Cabinet members, Supreme Court justices, & up to & including the President.

    I think you’re onto something here gary. I’ve taken drug tests for my last several jobs, none of which would have affected the nation as a whole if I had performed poorly>

  16. #16
    On August 20th, 2008 at 7:46 am, purplepeep said:

    Anita said:
    Once upon a time, Fox was good at doing things like this. But, BOR nowadays?

    Sometimes I catch Fox, but not that since it’s ill treatment of our hostess. And that’s setting aside the fact of BORs insufferable jackassed-ness to begin with.

    But the Letterman blink and uh counts were fun to watch. Dave used to be much more fun to catch following Carson at midnite back in the day, but I digress….

  17. #17
    On August 20th, 2008 at 7:57 am, purplepeep said:

    b-cat said:
    This was all in a book I read when in high school about body language. That was more years ago than I care to admit. Hardly new “findings”.

    In addition to generic body language, b-cat, there are more in-depth techniques that some folks find helpful. One sub-area is the area I mentioned above which observes eye responses, derived from Neurolinguistics studies. Just grabbing at random from the “internet ether”, this page is as good as any in giving a quick summary;

    Eye Accessing Cues

  18. #18
    On August 20th, 2008 at 8:25 am, Goldwater Knight said:

    I love two things in life: Nancy Pelosi and Star Bucks.

  19. #19
    On August 20th, 2008 at 8:25 am, tre said:

    Now we know why the Clinton’s look sleepy! Their eyelids are exhausted from all of that blinking!

  20. #20
    On August 20th, 2008 at 8:27 am, JDinTX said:

    Police officers have been studying body language of suspects for years when interrogating them. This has been around for a long time and I enjoy watching the news interviews of politicians. Their lies are so easy to spot.

  21. #21
    On August 20th, 2008 at 8:48 am, DaveC said:

    more botox..

    that ought to stiffen them lids open..

  22. #22
    On August 20th, 2008 at 8:56 am, LibTired said:

    These are not the eyelids I knew.

  23. #23
    On August 20th, 2008 at 9:05 am, Paul Revere said:

    She’s a democrat; therefore, she lies.

  24. #24
    On August 20th, 2008 at 9:08 am, Milwaukee Mike said:

    Hurricane Fay was born from the gust of wind off of Nancy Pelosi’s eyelashes after she promised a more ethical congress. Fact.

  25. #25
    On August 20th, 2008 at 9:12 am, meatpieandtatters said:

    The media has been carrying more water for Obama than any other candidate in history.

    Letterman’s jokes aside, when Obama has to speak off-script he’s a bumbling fool.

  26. #26
    On August 20th, 2008 at 9:33 am, Lan Astaslem said:

    *snort*

    I think Nancy is simply trying to stretch her eyelids back to their original measurements. Too much nip/tuck! You’re being too hard on her… /sarc

    Here’s a funny link about the “uh” question. That’s a whole other can of worms!

  27. #27
    On August 20th, 2008 at 9:34 am, emjem24 said:

    What is the blink rate for San Fran Nan?

    I would be curious to see if you can develop some form of communication through blinking.

    Blinkety blink, blink, blink= I own you losers in San Fran Nan language to her constituents. ;-)

  28. #28
    On August 20th, 2008 at 9:36 am, Lindsay said:

    I think it is a code for other Democrats: blink,blink,blink means tepid clapping; rapid-fire fluttery blinking: no clapping and sit on hands (which is how they have conducted Congress):blinking and nodding: stand up and applaud and so on.

    The Pelosi Code

  29. #29
    On August 20th, 2008 at 9:38 am, CantCureStupid said:

    Enjoyed the Letterman video, he looks like Barack Headroom.

    I always get a kick out of correcting people who say what a great public speaker Obama is… What he is is a great speech reader. When it comes to actual off-the-cuff discourse, he is pathetically inept, and the more examples of his ineptitude that are made public, the better.

    Cheers!!

  30. #30
    On August 20th, 2008 at 9:40 am, pueblo1032 said:

    MM, don’t need to watch for blinks, you can tell she is lying as soon as her LIPS start to MOVE…

  31. #31
    On August 20th, 2008 at 9:44 am, sbw999 said:

    Good one…but all I have to know about a person’s propensity to lie is whether or not they are a democrat. The phrase “lying democrat” is redundant.

  32. #32
    On August 20th, 2008 at 9:48 am, CantCureStupid said:

    A clip for those who are confused by the Barack Headroom reference.

    Children of the ’80′s should get it, though.

  33. #33
    On August 20th, 2008 at 9:53 am, swmbo said:

    Those videos are a riot. San Fran Nan has such a sour look on her face, she really needs to quit sucking on lemons. Her hatred of Bush is pathetic and waaaaaaaay too obvious.

    And as for barakadoodledoo, don’t know why he thinks before speaking, he always flip-flops and says he was misunderstood anyway. Just spit it out!

  34. #34
    On August 20th, 2008 at 9:56 am, americangrunthog said:

    I don’t think Pelosi is lying. I think she is really that misguided on the issues, and possibly deranged. In laymens terms, a lot of crazy people do a lot of blinking. Liars don’t own this body language.

    I just got back from a business trip to downtown San Francisco and had to dodge bums and vagrants every five feet on the sidewalks and in doorways, listen to protesters screaming through portable PA systems on street corners, and smell filth everywhere. I arranged the meetings so i wouldn’t have to stay there, just a quick stop and back out to America. A once beautiful city turned into a garbage heap. Good job Pelosi. Maybe slobs blink frequently too. We need more research.

  35. #35
    On August 20th, 2008 at 10:19 am, crushliberalism said:

    I hate to be a naysayer here, but has no one here noticed that McCain blinks a lot? I mean A LOT?

  36. #36
    On August 20th, 2008 at 10:31 am, YTZGal said:

    Reminds me of Kerry and all his lip-licking. It made it really hard to watch him speak. I wonder how much Kerry’s body language turned off voters subliminally?

  37. #37
    On August 20th, 2008 at 10:34 am, globmgmt said:

    In addition to drug tests for all Public Servants (emphasis “servants”) – how about intelligence tests and Rohrshack Tests as well.

  38. #38
    On August 20th, 2008 at 10:38 am, wighttrasch said:

    Hurricane Fay was born from the gust of wind off of Nancy Pelosi’s eyelashes after she promised a more ethical congress. Fact.

    That’s the plan, then. It’s all about wind power again…

  39. #39
    On August 20th, 2008 at 10:38 am, cheapseat said:

    san fran nan blinks a lot because she apparently left one of her contacts out. is it me or does she appear to have one blue and one green eye. the theory of blinking and fibbing should make t boone want to put windmills in the house and senate, as all that blinking, not to mention hot air, could surely pull us out of this energy crisis.

  40. #40
    On August 20th, 2008 at 10:59 am, corona said:

    What does doing the Spanish-Chinese eye stretch mean?

  41. #41
    On August 20th, 2008 at 11:04 am, et said:

    In the example sited Nancy is not speaking. So how can her blink rate have anything to do with her truthfulness? I think she is a true liberal and actually believes the garbage that comes out of her mouth.

  42. #42
    On August 20th, 2008 at 11:05 am, lgm said:

    The best way to catch a liar in politics is to see if what they say is true. Is it true that drilling will significantly reduce gas prices? Is it true that tax cuts have led to balanced budgets? Were there WMDs? Is Social Security about to go bankrupt? Are there any lobbyists working in the McCain campaign?

  43. #43
    On August 20th, 2008 at 11:07 am, RedDog said:

    Obama: Everything is above his pay grade. He is not fit to be a dog catcher.

  44. #44
    On August 20th, 2008 at 11:22 am, docflash said:

    So lgm,which party are you alluding to?Both,maybe?Give us your honest answer.

  45. #45
    On August 20th, 2008 at 11:36 am, jbh45 said:

    I have one word for nancy, my fellow californian: “toothpicks”.

  46. #46
    On August 20th, 2008 at 11:39 am, RevJim said:

    Jeez, what goofy questions to pose.

    Q. Is it true that drilling will significantly reduce gas prices? A. Duh.

    Q.Is it true that tax cuts have led to balanced budgets? A. Gee, ya think?

    Q. Were there WMDs? A. How ’bout tons and tons of yellowcake, just schlepped from Iraq to Canada?

    Q. Is Social Security about to go bankrupt? A. Yes.

    Q. Are there any lobbyists working in the McCain campaign? A. Possibly. But how about Mr. Obama’s? Uh, that too.

    I’ll add one more: Q. Is the sky up?

    Finally, an interesting point. The BEST liars know about this “blinking” thing, so they force themselves not to do it. It’s like a game of chicken with them. As Bubba Clinton, prevaricator nonpareil, once said: “It’s not a lie if you believe it when you say it.”

  47. #47
    On August 20th, 2008 at 11:50 am, katieanne said:

    Nancy Pelosi a liar? Knew it all along.

  48. #48
    On August 20th, 2008 at 11:50 am, DBNinKY said:

    On August 20th, 2008 at 11:05 am, lgm said:

    The best way to catch a liar in politics is to check for the letter “D” after his/her name. Is it true that NOT drilling will significantly reduce gas prices? Is it true that tax cuts have led to balanced budgets without Republican Houses to hold-down spending? Did we make the unfortunate mistake of giving Iraq WMDs during the early 1980′s? Is Social Security poised to remain solvent for future generations of non-savers/investors? Are there any lobbyists and terrorists working in the Obama campaign?

    Judging by the latest Zogby poll, I think the Obama camp is experiencing a “3AM” moment of its own right about now. Wouldn’t you agree, LGM?

  49. #49
    On August 20th, 2008 at 11:53 am, wighttrasch said:

    Is it true that drilling will significantly reduce gas prices?

    Yes.

    Is it true that tax cuts have led to balanced budgets?

    Yes.

    Were there WMDs?

    Yes.

    Is Social Security about to go bankrupt?

    Yes. I want to save my own money, thank you very much. I’m better at investing than the gov’ment.

  50. #50
    On August 20th, 2008 at 11:56 am, DBNinKY said:

    CORRECTION: Is it true that tax cuts INCREASES have led to balanced budgets without Republican Houses to hold-down spending?

  51. #51
    On August 20th, 2008 at 12:43 pm, judybeth said:

    When America’s derelict “elected DC personnel” return from five weeks of vacation, HS Pelosi and Sen Reid are planning to allow votes to EXTEND the ban on off-shore oil drilling which expires on Oct 1st. HS Speaker Pelosi will not allow an up/down vote as voters and members of Congress had pleaded with her before their “hiatus” began. Such power in such unethical Pelosi control is very disturbing!
    As you read from Michelle Malkin’s excellent column, Pelosi stands to make millions on her 2007 investment of $250,000+ in wind power. I believe in making investments in all sources of energy and uses of newer technologies which will put millions to work toward becoming energy independent. Pelosi’s self-interest is so glaringly embarassing because the whole World is watching her tactics, along with Reid, that have the effect of holding the USA hostage to the Mid-Eastern oil sources and weakening our National Security interests! Pelosi needs to be called before the House Ethics Committee (as if that would help – LOL). Contact your local Sen & Reps offices and or call their DC offices: Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121 and House Clerk (202) 225-7000 and tell them you DO NOT want the Oct 1st Ban on Drilling Extended and tell them how you feel about HS Pelosi’s unethical ($$$) interest in sustaining the Ban. No wonder, Pelosi is nervous, blinky, shaky and does NOT make any sense when she speaks. She needs to be checked for the early signs of Alzheimer. No matter how many eyebrow and forehead lifts she has to mask her age, she is incompetent, as is Sen Reid, and should be recalled and investigated as to her underhanded deals at the American citizens’expense! jb

  52. #52
    On August 20th, 2008 at 1:05 pm, TheOtherSide said:

    Is it true that tax cuts have led to balanced budgets?

    NO

  53. #53
    On August 20th, 2008 at 1:10 pm, sandyb said:

    On August 20th, 2008 at 7:46 am, purplepeep said:
    Anita said:
    Once upon a time, Fox was good at doing things like this. But, BOR nowadays?

    Rush had the best take on BOR recently. When pressed for his opinion on Blowhard, Rush finally said:
    BOR = Ted Baxter.

  54. #54
    On August 20th, 2008 at 1:21 pm, DaveC said:

    LGM and TOS

    Is it true that tax cuts have led to balanced budgets?

    for one thing, Charles Gibson reported this, the tax cuts did lead to more revenues..

    that means, MORE MONEY..

    as for what happened when the MORE MONEY came into congress, you will be hard pressed to find anyone here to defend congress or the President on their spending.. it went like Ted Kennedy on a 5 day bender..

    So what was your zarking point..

    it would have been nice for a responsible congress to have balanced the books like Congress started to back in 1995..

    the taxes can be cut or increased all you want but unless there is a congress to reign in the spending.. there will be no balanced budget..

    (put down the model glue, the Dems won’t balance the budget either…)

  55. #55
    On August 20th, 2008 at 1:26 pm, Robroy said:

    I am shaking my head here . Someone please help me . Did that liberal numbskull Letterman see Cheyney as the loser here ?

  56. #56
    On August 20th, 2008 at 1:31 pm, Straight_Talk_Luigi said:

    LGM

    The best way to catch a liar in politics is to see if what they say is true. Is it true that drilling will significantly reduce gas prices?

    Define significantly. It’ll do a lot more than inflating tires.

    Is it true that tax cuts have led to balanced budgets?

    When we don’t have to cover for people who don’t want to work and think they are entitled to everything, it can be done.

    Were there WMDs?

    Yes

    Is Social Security about to go bankrupt?

    Yes, it will be by 2041 at the current rate. That’s from official projections. They should have just left it alone.

    Are there any lobbyists working in the McCain campaign?

    Not sure what you mean by “working in”. I’m not that familiar with either campaign probably because I usually don’t vote for democrat or republicans in the presidental race.

    It’s pretty obvious who the MSM favors….

  57. #57
    On August 20th, 2008 at 1:31 pm, INC said:

    This is why moms have been frequently heard to say, “Look me in the eye!”

    :-)

  58. #58
    On August 20th, 2008 at 1:35 pm, DBNinKY said:

    LGM:

    Is it true that tax cuts have led to balanced budgets?

    The entire premise of such an inane question negates the undeniable fact that Clinton’s “miraculous” tax increase, as many Dems view it, led to a Republican take over every branch of government and nearly every state house in the nation, and that it is they who were responsible for the economy’s growth and expansion during the `90′s with the enaction of their Contract w/ America which, I might add, Clinton was all too happy to sign when Dick Morris told him to do it.

    What’s more, President Bush’s tax cut saved the U.S. economy from complete ruin by providing incentive for investors to keep their money in a system rattled by bubble bursts and terrorism, phenomena inherited from the previous administration!

  59. #59
    On August 20th, 2008 at 2:19 pm, RetFireman said:

    Just adds weight to the `ol saying about how your eyes are the window to your soul.

    Then again, it isn’t as if we needed some sort of eye mechanism to know that Pelosi and the other Libs are lying. We have facts to back it up.

    You guys know about facts, right? it is the things that Liberals refuse to use, for it gets in the way of how they “feel” about things.

  60. #60
    On August 20th, 2008 at 2:19 pm, right_on said:

    I’ve known this for years, and used it to great effect during my years as a police officer, and yes, sadly in raising my children. There are many other visuals that can be used as well, but I doubt anyone with career aspirations in politics or the media will ever use them to expose partisan liars in either party.

  61. #61
    On August 20th, 2008 at 3:19 pm, INC said:

    On August 20th, 2008 at 2:19 pm, right_on said: There are many other visuals that can be used as well

    Inquiring minds want to know!?!

  62. #62
    On August 21st, 2008 at 9:03 am, bedje said:

    After looking really close at the picture, I think I see some 200 mph duct tape holding those eyebrows up.

  63. #63
    On August 25th, 2008 at 11:01 am, pclevenger said:

    I got more than 30 blinks in the Uh Bama clip. He and Nancy should have a competition.

  64. #64
    On August 25th, 2008 at 9:45 pm, riggword said:

    We know that she lies,

    She has been lying about the Catholic Church’s stand on Abortion.

    “Obama and Pelosi Agree, They Don’t Have a Clue”

  65. #65
    On August 25th, 2008 at 10:00 pm, riggword said:

    You can count Pelosi’s blinks while she gives her account of the Stance on Abortion by the Catholic Church. Count her blinks at riggword.

    Keep blinking Pope Pelosi!

    “Obama and Pelosi agree, They Don’t Have a Clue”

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