Opinion Liar Alert: Watch Your Nose! By JOHN GATHRIGHT	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
うそつき警報：鼻に気をつけろ うそつき警報：鼻に気をつけろ アメリカのある研究者が うそをつくと鼻がかゆくなるという報告をした。 その例として、クリントン大統領が モニカ・ルインスキーさんとの 関係について法廷で証言した時のようすを挙げ 話題になったが…。

For the past couple of weeks I have been watching noses! I've watched all kinds of noses — big, small, flat, pointed — regardless of race or nationality. It is not that I have a nose fetish or have become obsessed with them because of a nose complex. It is just that after reading a number of articles about noses and liars, I've become fascinated by watching noses.

Dr. Alan Hirsch, director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, Ltd., in Chicago, claims, "The nose knows when you are lying." This theory has caused some very serious nose watching worldwide.

According to Dr. Hirsch, unlike Pinocchio's nose, which grew when he lied, people's noses itch. There is erectile tissue inside the nose that receives an increase of blood when one lies. The increase of blood slightly engorges the tissue, releasing histamines that cause itching.

Body language is nothing new. Some people go so far as to say that over 80 percent of what we communicate to others is expressed through body language. Actually, body language is so important that for job hunters there are classes devoted to body lan guage that will make a positive impression on interviewers.

Culturally, body language often varies from country to country. Innocent gestures can even provoke great anger and misunderstanding. The study of gestures and nonverbal communication is not new by any means. But lately with this addition to body language study, noses have taken center stage as the body part to watch!

Dr. Hirsch insists that scratching is a dead giveaway to anyone who knows what to watch for and uses Bill Clinton as a perfect example.

During Clinton's 23-minute testimony concerning his affair with Monica Lewinsky in front of the grand jury, it has been recorded that he scratched his nose 26 times a minute while lying, compared with 16 times per minute when he was telling the truth. This may seem trivial, but Clinton is not the only one to scratch and lie. Apparently, numerous trials and much research have found that people's noses itch when they lie.

I don't know how much to make of this nose itching and lying, but it is creating quite a stir. The phrase Liar's Itch or the Pi nocchio Syndrome is becoming mainstream and being used in courtrooms and by headhunters all across America.

Unfortunately, all the hype, as I see it, is a little dangerous. Even before Dr. Hirsch's claims have been proven, they are becoming a standard for judging truth and determining guilt or innocence. Suddenly, habitual nose itching or even allergies could become incriminating and even hazardous to our careers and future.

In fact some U.S. universities have counseled their job hunting students to not touch their noses during job interviews. Recent claims have gone as far as saying that an alert observer of body language can detect 99 percent of all liars.

Personally, I don't know if this itchy nose thing holds water. But whether the whole thing turns out to be fact or farce, I would watch your nose and when you touch it.

One thing though, is for sure. This nose hype has made watching television a riot. It is amazing how many politicians and world leaders scratch their nose frequently while being interviewed or giving political speeches.

Shukan ST: July 23, 1999

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