Reading Body Language of the Mouth

As I said in Reading Body Language of Eyes, reading body language is by no means an exact science, and I am no expert. However having read a few books etc on the subject, I’d like to share some of the more common info with you, to hopefully help you identify your own body language.

Please remember however that one signal does not reliably indicate a meaning, clusters of signals more reliably indicate meaning. And please do not use body language alone when making decisions about people as you must always take into account the persons mood, their understanding of the situation as well as their motive.

Today it’s all about the mouth!

The mouth may be touched or obscured by someone by their hands or fingers, however when visible, is a very expressive part of the body as it performs the central role in facial expressions.

Pasted Smile

A pasted smile is one which appears quickly and lasts longer than a natural smile, and also appears to extend to the eyes. This type of smile normally indicates suppressed displeasure or forced agreement of some sort.

Tight Lipped Smile

Normally stretched across face in a straight line with mouth closed. This indicates the person has a secret they are not going to share, possibly because they do not like or they distrust those around them.

Twisted Smile

Shows opposite emotions on each side of the face, and normally indicates the person has mixed feelings or is being sarcastic.

Smiling with Head Tilted While Looking Upwards

Normally done so that part of the face is hidden while looking directly at someone. This normally indicates playfulness.

Bottom Lip Out

This can be a sign of upset or crying.

Laughter

Real laughter indicates the person is relaxed and feels at ease. Note that when someone is relaxed their vulnerabilities can be seen more easily as their guard drops.

Forced Laughter

When someone forces laughter it is usually a sign of nervousness or stress, or an attempt to signal of cooperation with something they disagree with.

Biting Lip

This is another sign of tension or stress, which can be due to high concentration, but more likely to be anxiousness.

Chewing Pen or Pencil

People put things into their mouths because it’s  comforting. It back to childhood when we were given a dummy or sucked our thumbs, and we did that to sooth and comfort us.

Pursing Lips

This can indicate anxiousness or impatience at not being allowed to speak. Conversely it can also indicate upset as if suppressing tears.

Hand Over Mouth

This is often done by someone in an attempt to stop themselves from saying anything, often due to shock, embarrassment or to stop them from saying something inappropriate.

Nail Biting

This is frequently done during times of fear or stress.

 

How many of the above signs are you aware that you do? Why not make your next meeting more interesting by seeing how many mouth related body language “signals” you can recognise your colleagues doing…but don’t tell them beforehand, or they’ll all become very self-conscious!