Have you ever had the feeling you were being lied to? Well, your instincts were probably right.

I can spot a lie from my kids pretty quickly. Consequently, my children are usually in more trouble for lying than for their original offenses.

But what about being lied to by adults - friends, coworkers, a spouse or a family member? How can you spot a liar?

It would be easy if a liar's pants really did catch on fire or if his nose grew longer like Pinocchio's, but that doesn't happen. Throughout history, various means to detect lies have been developed, monitoring heart rates, breathing and vocal stress changes.

However, none of these are readily available any time you wish to fact-check your peers.

According to this video, however, we can rely on communication science. "On a psychological level, we partly lie to paint a better picture of ourselves, connecting our fantasies to the person we wish we were rather than the person we are." Apparently, there is a difference in how we tell imagined experiences versus how we relay real experiences, and we let cues slip that alert others to our lies.

So, how can we spot a lie?

• Liars reference themselves less when making deceptive statements.

• Liars tend to be more negative because, on a subconscious level, they feel guilty about lying.

• Liars typically explain events in simple terms because our brains struggle to build complex lies.

• Even though liars keep descriptions simple, they tend to use longer and more convoluted sentence structure, inserting unnecessary words and irrelevant factual details in order to pad their lies.

Recognizing these telltale signs of a liar can help you avoid some bad choices or keep you from investing too much time in a dangerous relationship.

Of course, honesty is the best policy. Be honest in your dealings, whether in business or relationships. It's a lot less stressful. Read these reasons why kids tend to lie - and how to help them want to tell the truth.