Post 11

I watched Pamela Meyer’s How to Spot a Liar. Meyer wrote a book titled “How to Spot a Liar,” which, from what I gathered, provides different techniques on how to spot a liar without utilizing lie-detecting machines. The main thesis of her talk (and perhaps her book?) is that telling the truth creates better consequences for both yourself and others than telling lies. She begins her argument by demonstrating that lying is something in which everyone frequently participates. For example, she cites a study which found that “strangers lied three times within the first 10 minutes of meeting each other.” After establishing lying as an activity that everyone engages in, she show that lying, although sometimes only a white lie, is dangerous. For example, she mentions that according to British Authorities, Henry Oberlander, a sly conman skilled in effective lying, “could have undermined the entire banking system of the Western world.” After giving a few more examples, she teaches the audience a few tricks on how to detect when someone is lying. Overall I found the argument rather convincing. However, Meyer’s mentions that some white lies are not only harmless, but helpful. In other words, to strengthen her argument, she needs to better clarify if all lying should be avoided or if certain lies should be avoided or something else entirely.

Link: https://www.ted.com/talks/pamela_meyer_how_to_spot_a_liar/transcript?language=en#t-237000