188 W H A T EVERY BODY IS SAYING
of stress. I say this with assurance, because when it comes to stress
(like testifying before Congress), nothing is more universal than dis-
appearing lips. When we are stressed, we tend to make our lips disap-
pear subconsciously.
When we press our lips together, it is as if the limbic brain is telling us
to shut down and not allow anything into our bodies (see figure 74), be-
cause at this moment we are consumed with serious issues. Lip compres-
sion is very indicative of true negative sentiment that manifests quite
vividly in real time (see box 53). It is a clear sign that a person is troubled
and that something is wrong. It rarely, if ever, has a positive connotation.
This does not mean the person is being deceptive. It just means that they
are stressed at the moment.
In the following series of photographs (see figures 75–78), I dem-
onstrate how the lips progressively go from full (things are OK) to
disappearing or compressed lips (things are not OK). Note especially
on the final photograph (figure 78) how the corner of the mouth turns
down, making the mouth look like an upside-down U. This behavior
When the lips disappear, there is usually
stress or anxiety driving this behavior.Fig. 74