Last week mum caught me out. I’d eaten the last biscuit in the box.
“Sibo” said mum – “did you eat the last biscuit?”
Heaven only knows why I did it, but I fibbed. Probably because I thought I might get into trouble for eating that last little sucker.
“No mum”, I replied as innocently as I could, looking up at the ceiling, scuffing my toe against the edge of the carpet.
“I’m not cross with you for eating it, just for leaving the empty box there,” said Mum with a smile.
I dashed off to the kitchen and threw the box away. Then I gave mum a hug. “How did you know I was fibbing?”
“That’s easy” she replied. “You never look me in the eye when you tell fibs. Your eyes wander all over the place but don’t go anywhere near my face.”
Seriously? Can people really tell that you are fibbing if you don’t look them in the eye? I decided to google it because I did not really believe that it could be true.
Here’s what I found out… Firstly we have no control over the size of our pupils (those black bits in the middle of your eyes). Your pupils get bigger when you are interested in something and smaller when you are not.
Making eye contact makes a person seem more honest, trustworthy, attractive and confident. If you look a person in the eye whilst talking to them you are more likely to win them over. Also, it shows that you are listening to them and are interested in what they are saying. Of course, if your pupils get tiny and you look away – they can see that too!
But sometimes looking a person in the eye is very difficult; especially when it’s an adult you are talking to.
Here’s a little sneaky tip – if you are having trouble looking somebody in the eye – focus on the bridge of their nose instead. Or look at one eye only – they can’t tell the difference and it’s easier to do.
It’s a good trait to learn and practise – look somebody in the eye when you talk to them.
Sibo
Odd, slightly naughty but very cool word for the week: Fopdoodle
Meaning – a Victorian (very old) word for a “dumbass”
Example: I was such a fopdoodle I forgot to turn off the light in my room when the power went out – so when it came back on again the light woke me up.