92 I Can Read You Like a Book R
store customers might not have reacted that way. Someone who
dropped the hangers because she was distracted by another
occurrence in the store might not have responded that way, either.
Lips
Another movement that also involves the mouth is licking the
lips. Children lick their lips when they’re thinking, as do horses, as
well as a lot of adults. It’s one sign that the brain is engaged. Lip biting
can also signal thinking,but suggests a more stressful topic, as I
mentioned previously.
Men will sometimes
purse and grip their lips
so their lips almost dis-
appear. Often, that is a
manholding back
emotion. In the video
of Lyndon Johnson at
the Democratic National
Convention that chose
John F. Kennedy over
him to be the presiden-
tial candidate, he leaks
frustration, annoyance,
and even anger when
he’s faced with the “opportunity” to be vice president. His lips
assume a sucked-in grimace, and he tilts his head down during
speaking. Even though the words coming out of his mouth are
