Deceptive Language: Verbal Content and Style (FightWrite™)

Deception is manipulating the thoughts or feelings of others for personal gain. And no matter how good our characters might be at deceiving others, they will always give clues to their duplicity. In this post we will look at how deception can be revealed through the very words our characters use to conceal it. To understand how that deception might be revealed, we have to understand how deceiving relates to running from bears.

(Medieval Armor From Head to Toe (FightWrite™))

What is Deception?

Deception is not lying. In fact, the best deception involves truth, which is why it is a vital tool in the fighter’s tool chest. Deception is why boxers use combinations of punches. The first punches distract the opponent. They cause the opponent to defend and move in such a way that makes them more vulnerable to the punches that follow. All of those punches are real or true. But what those first punches aim to do—literally—isn’t so much land as control the focus of the opponent and move them in a way that benefits the one throwing the punches.

Like punch combos, verbal deception can manipulate the focus and thought movement of others. This ultimately makes listeners more vulnerable to the deception. In essence, deception is passive-aggressive combat. From behind its shield of manipulation, the deceiver can flee or fight a perceived threat. In fact, deception is directly related to our threat response as much as freezing, fleeing, or physical engagement.

Deception and the Limbic System

Our limbic system aims to maintain our physical survival. It does so by keeping record of our heightened emotional states, such as joy or fear. When we experience these emotions again, our amygdala applies previous emotional memories that are similar so that our body knows whether to jump up and down happily or run and scream in terror. So, if we are in the woods and run into a bear, our bodies don’t so much see it as a threat as feel it is a threat.

When our brain perceives a threat through spoken or written communication, our threat response may compel us to deceive. That deception is an attempt to put distance between us and the painful outcome that might be attached to our telling the truth. Lying is the flight response in action. That is not to say that lying is beyond our control. It is to explain why our first instinct might be to lie and why some choose to do so.

The problem for those attempting to deceive as a threat response is that the limbic system isn’t designed to hide its excited state. That isn’t in keeping with survival. We aren’t meant to hide our fear when a bear is chasing us. We are just meant to run.

Deceptive Communication Patterns

These are certain communication patterns that statistically signal deception. Those signals are created by the limbic system and are beyond our control. That is not to say that someone who speaks like this is attempting to lie or deceive. They may communicate that way simply because they are nervous and their limbic system is sounding the alarm. But in our writing, these are red flags that a character will inevitably show and other characters might want to look for. If you ever watch interrogation shows, you will see these patterns.

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Narrative Balance: Recalling an event tends to have three parts. We give backstory to the event, talk about the event, and then sum things up. The greatest number of words tend to be about the event. “I was on my way to work (backstory) and I saw three guys run out of the bank. They had their faces covered and they got into a light-colored car, but I don’t remember what kind (event). It happened really fast. I still can’t believe it. (summary).”

People who are being deceptive tend to give the greatest number of words to the backstory. “I was on my way to work. I have been late twice, and I was afraid I would lose my job, so I left early. I remember the clock on my dash showing 8:03. Lots of traffic that day. So, I’m at a stop light (backstory) and I see three guys run out of the bank. They got in a car and that’s it (event). That’s all I saw. (summary).” There is also another issue in that account that can speak to deception.

Problems with Verb Tense: When recounting a past event, the present tense can be a problem. When telling the truth, people tend to talk about past events in the past tense. When being deceptive, people tend to mix in the present tense. The assumption is that those trying to deceive are creating those events in their mind, in present time, as they say them. “I was walking through the parking lot after work. It was pretty empty. There were maybe a few other cars out there. Then this guy jumps out of nowhere and yells that he has a gun and tells me to give him I wallet. Then he just runs away.”
Use of Many Negative Emotional Words: Negative emotional words when describing an event are normal. But when there is an excess, carefully observe it. For example, “I’d have to be a repulsive, worthless, disgusting freak to do that,” versus, “I wouldn’t do that. That’s disgusting.”
Overly Specific: Sometimes those attempting to deceive will make their response very technical that brings in wording that a lay person might not understand.“Did you go to the Clunker Auto Parts Store on Thursday?”“That’s a good question. I’ve been having issues with the manifold gasket of my car. I would definitely fail an admissions test. Although it’s a ’95 so, you know, those standards are different. I needed a new inlet so I ran to get one.”Another type of overly specific response provides facts or information that only pertain to one portion of the question. The hope is that in answering one part of the question, the one asking feels as though the entire question has been answered. Often this type of response is more telling in what it leaves out not in what it offers.“Did you go to the Clunker Auto Parts Store on Thursday?”“I didn’t drive there, no.”The character doesn’t answer the actual question. Instead, they focus on an aspect of it. And, that character may not be lying. Maybe he didn’t drive there. Maybe his buddy drove him. 

In our next post, we will go over a few more signs of deception in word communication. Between now and then, I hope you look for these deceptive communication methods in live footage. And, see if you can pick up on any other cues. In both cases, send me a message through FightWrite.net and let me know what you saw and where you saw it. I love examples! By the way, there are several chapters on limbic language in my new FightWrite™ book coming out this fall. Stay tuned for more info.

Until the next round with FightWrite™ on the WD blog, get blood on your pages.

Struggling to choose a fighting style for your character? The struggle is over. The way your character does battle isn’t up to you. It’s up to the story. The time and place of the work, the society in which your character lives, their inherent and fostered traits and the needs of the story will determine how your character responds to aggression.