THE MIND’S CANVAS 189BOX 53: WHEN DISAPPEARING LIPS AREN’T THE ONLY
THINGS BEING HIDDENI look for lip compression or disappearing lips during interviews or when
someone is making a declarative statement. This is such a reliable cue
that it will show up precisely at the moment a difficult question is asked.
If you see it, that doesn’t necessarily mean the person is lying. Instead,
it indicates that a very specific question served as a negative stimulus
and really bothered the person. For example, if I ask someone, “Are you
hiding something from me?” and he compresses his lips as I ask the
question, he is hiding something. This is especially accurate if it is the
only time he has concealed or compressed his lips during our discus-
sion. It is a signal that I need to push further in questioning this per-
son.is indicative of high distress (discomfort). This is a formidable cue or
signal that the person is experiencing an extreme amount of stress.
In my classes (you might want to try this with friends), I tell students to
make their lips disappear or compress them and to look around at each
other. What they soon realize, when I point it out to them, is they can
make their lips disappear, but usually it is in a straight line. Most people
who try this cannot force the corners of the mouth down into an upside-
down U shape. Why? Because this is a limbic response that is hard to
mimic unless we are really distressed or grieving. Do keep in mind that for
some people, the turned-down corners of the mouth is a normal behavior
and as such is not an accurate sign of distress. However, for the large major-
ity of us, this is a very accurate tell of negative thoughts or sentiments.
The Lip PurseBe sure to look for individuals who purse their lips while you or someone else
is talking (see figure 79). This behavior usually means they disagree with