Kevin Jonas Fakes a Smile or Contempt?

Whenever we see a facial expression that is not equal on both side of the face- notice how one side of his mouth could be raised higher than the other, this is usually a sign of faked emotion.  Given that we can see more teeth on the side of the face that is angled away, this is contempt.  It is only a little tougher with Jonas, because I don't think I have seen him give a real smile and ofter his lips are only subtly showing movement.◦

Kevin Jonas Fakes a Smile or Contempt?

Anger, but not Dangerous, more EVIL

The only thing stopping this from being a look at a dangerous individual is the mouth shows no tightness.◦

Anger, but not Dangerous, more EVIL

Lip Biting as a Sign of Stress; Subtle Sadness in the Eyes

Nino, a four-year-old Ethnic Georgian refugee from South Ossetia, stands at her shelter in the village of Koda, some 55 km (34 miles) east of Tbilisi, August 7, 2010. Georgian forces launched an assault on South Ossetia late on August 7, 2008 after days of clashes with separatists and years of escalating tension with Moscow, drawing a devastating Russian counter-strike that ended on August 12.◦

Lip Biting as a Sign of Stress; Subtle Sadness in the Eyes

Ends of His Lips are Pointed Downward

Brazilain Formula One driver Rubens Barrichello of Williams team arrives at the pit lane at the Hungaroring race track in Mogyorod near Budapest, Hungary, 29 July 2010. The Formula One Grand Prix of Hungary will take place on 1 August 2010.

Usually sadness; always negative; when not clearly sadness it can be done when considering something (that the person does not want to think about).◦

Ends of His Lips are Pointed Downward

Venus Williams Lets One Get Away

Venus Williams of the US reacts as she plays Samantha Stosur of Australia during their quarter final match for the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 02 June 2010.

Notice the head tilt (shying away from the opportunity); the lips piercing inward (even though she could say a great deal to herself); and the closed eyes (because she did not like what she just saw) all tell her true feeling about what has just occurred...◦

Venus Williams Lets One Get Away

Both lips Piercing Inward, says I Could Speak Now... From Oil Exec

Lamar McKay (L), Chairman and President of BP America, and Steven L. Newman, President and CEO of Transocean, wait for a hearing of the House Natural Resources Committee on Capitol Hill May 27, 2010 in Washington, DC. The committee called McKay, Newman, and others to testify about the oil spill caused by Transocean's Deepwater Horizon drilling platform that sank while drilling for oil for BP in the Gulf of Mexico.

If you see this (the man on the right in the picture) in normal conversation, pay attention to what is said next. If nothing is said, it would be a good time to ask a question like, "What's up?"

It all depends if the situation is high stakes.

If it is a normal conversation with someone you know, it could be a sign of lack of interest. For example, if you are telling your spouse about your day at work, or golf game and see this, it is definitely a sign of lack of interest- they do not want to extend the conversation.

If you are in a high stakes situation (like a police interview) and you see this it could mean they are weighing their options and possibly want to reveal a suspicion and they may say something about their son or friend...or give you information important to your case.

In all cases it is a way to "lock down" their lips and this in itself is significant.◦

Both lips Piercing Inward, says I Could Speak Now... From Oil Exec

Do Not Make A Mistake With This Microexpression

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Please watch the above video and pay attention to the microexpression that the young woman does at the end of most of her sentences.

This is not the microexpression of happiness or joy. When we inwardly pucker the corners of our lips, it is a sign that we could speak more about the topic, but prefer to not. It is a way to physically "lock down" our lips so that we cannot speak. It could be showing a certain amount of control depending on the context.

It could easily be confused with the microexpression of happiness or joy, and if that occurs it could be extremely problematic, because then you may interpret it as a hot spot- which it is not.

This victim is a great example of someone who emotionally is still affected by the events of that night several years ago. I ran across the video when I learned the remains of 25-year-old Laura Garza of Brooklyn were identified yesterday. If you watch the entire video below, notice the young woman's intensity when describing the events.

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Do Not Make A Mistake With This Microexpression

Lick Lip: HSBC Women's Champions

Suzann Peterssen of Norway during the third round of the HSBC Women's Champions at the Tanah Merah Country Club on February 27, 2010 in Singapore.◦

Lick Lip: HSBC Women's Champions

Approval or Scorn?

Notice the lips... I do this often- pull the corners inward. It is my way of not wanting to speak, and/or really not having anything to say, or at a loss for words... Where others are probably looking to me to speak.

Having the face tilted forward and downward is shame, but she is not showing shame of herself, she is conveying it towards the object of her attention.◦

Approval or Scorn?

Salahi's Plead the 5th With Their Words and Their Lips

Michaele Salahi (L) and her husband Tareq Salahi (R) stand before the press after refusing to testify to the House Homeland Security Committee during a hearing on 'The United States Secret Service and Presidential Protection: An Examination of a System Failure' January 20, 2010 in Washington, DC. The Salahis pleaded the 5th Amendment and refused to answer questions from committee members about their attendance of a November 21, 2009 state dinner at the White House.


Salahi's were invited (this time) and they didn't want to speak about anything, so they pleaded the 5th (a great deal smarter than what occurred last November) and in almost every picture of them their lips are closed. They are making sure they do not talk (consciously or subconsciously? We cannot tell with just pictures, with video we'd be able to tell), which was the plan they developed with their lawyer.◦

Salahi's Plead the 5th With Their Words and Their Lips

Jelena Jankovic and Coach Talk

Jelena Jankovic of Serbia talks to a member of her coaching staff after losing her first round match against Agnes Szavay of Hungary during day two of the 2010 Medibank International at Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre on January 11, 2010 in Sydney, Australia.

This is one of those interesting pictures that tells the whole story.

Even if we didn't have the caption we can see her raised shoulders and palms facing up, she is conveying that there wasn't anything else she could do; palms open show honesty, shrug shows uncertainty.

Her coach is also saying a few things with his body language- pursed lips, not looking her in the eye, and notice the way his elbow and arms is in a triangle shape- this is often done to appear "bigger" because you are taking up more space.◦

Jelena Jankovic and Coach Talk

When We Pinch Our Lower Lip With Our Fingers

Chairman Guido Westerwelle addresses the audience during the FDP Ephiphany conference on January 6, 2010 in Stuttgart, Germany. The Epiphany conference is the first party meeting of the FDP in this year to rework their general principles.

This is a pacifying gesture. Normally whenever we touch, lick with our tongue, or otherwise interact with our lips it is pacifying. This particular gesture is not all that unique, but what is interesting is how it pacifies us: It manipulates our lower lip into a suckling position which first provided us comfort when we were very, very young...◦

When We Pinch Our Lower Lip With Our Fingers

Pushing Lower Lip Up

VLADIVOSTOK, RUSSIA. DECEMBER 28, 2009. Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin (L) and Head of Russia's Federal Agency for Fishery Andrei Krainy attends a meeting to discuss the development of the shipbuilding industry in Primorye (Maritime Territory), chaired by the Russian prime minister.

The person to the left is pushing his lip up, this is a sign of considering something that is new to him or he hasn't considered before. Be on the lookout for gesture in a microexpression.◦

Pushing Lower Lip Up

Obama, The Party is Over

U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama depart the White House en route to Andrews Air Force Base on December 9, 2009 in Washington. The President and First Lady are traveling to Oslo, Norway to attend the Nobel Prize ceremony.

Someone asked me about Obama's pursed lips in the comments section of a previous post; and I had noticed in the last week he can be seen with pursed lips more and more often. I see it in candid shots in the Presidential limousine, when accepting the Nobel Peace Prize, when being interviewed on Sixty Minutes.



U.S. President Barack Obama speaks before signing a Presidential memorandum which moves about $600 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money to spur construction and renovation projects at 85 community health centers around the U.S. during a ceremony in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House in Washington on December 9, 2009.

What does this all mean? Well they say when you are the President of the United States you will age drastically in the White House as a result of the stress and enormity of the responsibility and Obama is now understanding that in the last two weeks. Afghanistan and health care (and probably a few other things we are unaware of) are all taking their toll... His usual athletic stride and easy going style are replaced by a more reserved walk. He still flashes his trademark big smile, but not as often; and he is more likely to offer a social smile to the crowd.

Pursed lips are often done unconsciously. It is a sign that he is carefully considering his words and is now more comfortable listening than speaking. It is a sign of some anxiety that he is feeling internally. He always has occasionally pursed his lips, and it is a part of his baseline, the difference is he is doing it more often in the last couple of weeks.◦

Obama, The Party is Over

Subtle Sadness

HAMBURG, GERMANY - OCTOBER 27: SPD politicians Andrea Nahles (L) and Niels Annen talk to each other during the second day of the party congress of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD) on October 27, 2007 in Hamburg, Germany. The Social Democrats continue the meeting with discussions about their future party program after electing the party chairs the previous day.

Whenever we protrude our lower lip, this is a subtle expression of sadness. If it is done consciously it becomes a lip pout.◦

Subtle Sadness

Rusty Interview from Dateline

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This is a study in someone who doesn't want to speak, is nervous, and shows us this with almost every movement. Things to look for are biting lips, scratching neck, nervous chuckle, pursed lips, shrugs, rubbing hands, faster blink rate, eye direction clues, answers a question with a question, torso and head pointing towards the exit.

I suggest watching this video several times.◦

Rusty Interview from Dateline

Jessica Simpson Licks Her Lip

Oct 13 2009
Jessica Simpson is very expressive during an interview at QVC FFANY event in at Rose Hall, NYC. Pictured: Jessica Simpson Picture by: JS / Splash News

Lip licking with your tongue is a self pacifying behavior.◦

Jessica Simpson Licks Her Lip

New SNL Cast Member Jenny Slate Swears On Live TV on Last's Week Show

What is note worthy about this, is watch Jenny's reaction after she realizes what has just happened.

Her lips move together in a kissing pose, she is attempting to make her lips and the opening of her mouth as small as possible, she is holding her breathe, then exhales to relieve stress and it puffs her checks out, still not wanting to allow anything else out of her mouth.◦

New SNL Cast Member Jenny Slate Swears On Live TV on Last's Week Show

Violence Caught by Camera: Do not worry this was for a film

John Hamm got into full FBI mode as he shot a scene complete with a shoot out for the film The Town in Boston, MA on September 24, 2009. Fame Pictures, Inc

What we see here is the exact moment the gun is discharged his eyes involuntary close- Something we instinctually do whenever we hear startling noise.

Check out his facial expression: see the lines in his forehead, and see the tightness in his lips and checks. This is from either from fear or stress, or both.◦

Violence Caught by Camera: Do not worry this was for a film

Don't You Dare!

This picture is saying a great deal.

Hand on hip and elbow out is done to take up more space and to appear bigger.

Pursed lips says I'm not even going to respond or speak to that.

Finger upward is a gesture that means "scold," especially if it is being shaken back and forth- this says stop. It orginated as a gesture to remind the other person that God is watching.◦

Don't You Dare!