THE MIND’S CANVAS 191what is being said or they are considering an alternative thought or idea.
Knowing this information can be very valuable in helping you determine
how to present your case, modify your offer, or guide the conversation. To
ascertain whether the lip purse means disagreement or rather that the person
is considering an alternative point of view, you should monitor the ongoing
conversation long enough to gather additional clues.
Lip pursing is often seen during closing arguments at a trial. While
one attorney speaks, the opposing counsel will purse his or her lips in
disagreement. Judges also do it as they disagree with attorneys during
side-bar conferences. While reviewing contracts, watching for—and
spotting—lip-pursing behaviors can help attorneys decipher the concerns
or issues of opposing counsel. Lip pursing can be seen during police in-
terviews, especially when confronting a suspect with the wrong informa-
tion. The suspect will purse his lips in disagreement because he knows
the investigator has the facts wrong.
In business settings, lip pursing occurs all the time and should be con-
sidered an effective means of gathering information about a situation. For
We purse our lips or pucker them when
we are in disagreement with something or
someone, or we are thinking of a possible
alternative.Fig. 79