When someone lies to you, how do you react?

It depends on what the lie is. Basically, I hate being lied to. If it’s not a big lie I sometimes let it go.

It all depends on the relationship of the person and what they are lying about. I’ll ignore it if it is a non consequential lie but I will remember that I cannot rely on what the person says.

If it is hurtful or damaging to someone, I will speak out against it.

A weakness of mine is that I usually try to justify it or figure out how they thought that would be true. I’m a sucker that way.

I’d call them out on it, mostly because I enjoy being right…and embarrassing people when they lie about stupid things. I’m evil like that.

I always call them on it. My favorite attack is when someone says “To tell the truth…”, I always stop them and ask if they had been lying up to that point, and why the distinction.

What I do really depends on a lot of factors. I may not confront them, especially if I can’t show incontrovertible evidence. However, if I’m morally certain that they’re lying to me, that will permanently change our relationship.

If it’s possible (e.g., if they’re not a family member or coworker or other inescapable person), I will withdraw and avoid the person in the future. I don’t want anything to do with someone who thinks it’s all right to lie to me.

In some cases, learning that I’m dealing with a liar is a really valuable piece of information. I may not let on that I know it, precisely because that’s going to give me a tiny advantage in future dealings with the person. If they think they’re fooling me, and they’re not, they’ll be less cautious, and I’m therefore less likely to be at their mercy.

Needless to say, I won’t be trusting them again.

Contrary to cliche, I don’t necessarily believe that “To tell the truth” is the mark of a liar. Sometimes it really is an honest person making a difficult admission. I’d need more information than that to call someone out for bearing false witness.

I don’t really care unless the lie involves me or negatively effects me in some way.

Everyone lies.

I respond to them as if nothing was happening and mentally log it. There are many reasons a person will lie, and I understand that. For example, a lie committed in fear of my reaction to the truth, I can fix easily and save the relationship. If the lie is meant to be harmful to me, I simply wait. Being lied to in this way is valuable knowledge, as far as I’m concerned. It is valuable in the respect that I now know this person is no longer to be trusted and valuable also in that this person does not know that I no longer trust them. The motive for lying will eventually reveal itself, if it is not immediately evident. When the reveal comes, and there is an important adversary involved, this person can be useful in many ways as a false ally. If they cannot be used, I drop them like a hot rock and file them under I for Ignominy. My memory is long and, to my enemies, my methods are Machiavellian.

I found a book in our library several years ago, the title was Never be Lied to Again, I picked it up thinking it sounded like a good mystery book but it was actually about how to tell when someone is lying to you. I honestly wish I had never read that book, I don’t want to know that someone I know & love is lying to me.

My panties get in a bunch then I toss them on the ground.

I wait until the right time to call them out. I never forget.

I make a mental note of it so I can know what to expect later. Calling them out right away seems tactically unsound. I want to hear more later.

I usually just become confused and confusion paralyzes me in taking any action.

you mean that “deer in the headlights” look?

Lie to me baby. No problem.

But upon discovering the lie, we have a problem.