Making it hard to be lied to

When you want to know if someone's a racist, you don't ask "are you racist?"

You act slightly racist yourself. Drop a subtle comment. Watch them get comfortable and reveal their true thoughts.

Same principle works everywhere. Want to know if someone does cocaine? Don't say "drugs are bad." Instead: "Hey, tried coke at this party last week. Wild experience. Have you ever?"

Watch how their eyes light up if they're users.

The psychology is simple. People lie when they sense judgment. Remove the judgment, sometimes even lean the opposite way, and watch how quickly they reveal themselves.

Some examples:

• Want to know if someone's cheating? Share a story about your "friend" who cheated and found true love

• Wondering if your employee is job hunting? Talk about your own past job searches casually

• Need to know if someone's stealing? Mention how you once "borrowed" from a previous job

Not about being manipulative. It's about creating a space where people don't feel the need to hide. Where they think you're "one of them."

The real skill? Keeping your face neutral when they tell you exactly what you needed to know.

The core idea is simple - people lie when they think you don't want to hear the truth. So make them think you do.