How to Develop the 'Sherlock Holmes' Intuition (Part Two)

1

Read body language. You can tell a lot about a person from their body language, which will help you figure out who has good intentions and who doesn’t. You can tell what someone is feeling and predict how people will behave. Once you’ve trained yourself in the art, people will think you’re a super-sleuth just like Sherlock Holmes.

2

Practice active listening. Many times when people talk, you casually listen, nodding along to let them know you’re following the conversation. Active listening requires greater focus on what the other person is saying, as well as how they are saying it and the tone they are using.

• Cut out distractions so that you can really pay attention when people speak to you. For example, put away your phone and take a break from any tasks you were doing.
• Maintain eye contact with the person speaking to you.
• Focus on what the other person is saying, not on what you’re going to say in response.
• Paraphrase what the other person said before adding your own thoughts.

3

Know if someone is lying. Part of having good intuition is being able to spot a liar, so learning how to detect when someone is lying to you is essential if you want to develop your intuition. You must be able to spot the truths and the lies.

• People who are lying often cover their nose and mouth. They may also twirl their hair or tug on their clothes.
• While it may take time, learning to spot microaggressions in a person’s face can also help you figure out if a person is lying.
• Watch for inexplicable sweating. For example, if the person starts sweating in an air conditioned room, then they may be lying.
• Listen to the speed at which a person speaks. Slow or fast speech can indicate lying.

4

Predict what others will do. Use your skills to predict how others will behave. For example, you could predict who will forget to bring their Secret Santa gift on the right day, or which of your group mates will volunteer to make the presentation. By reading others, you can make better decisions for yourself by anticipating their behaviors.