The Sign Of Withholding I @LauraMarieClery
In this short clip, Vanessa Van Edwards explains the lip‑purse facial expression—a hard, thin line formed by pressing the lips together—as a universal, non‑verbal cue that signals a person is withholding information. She describes how the gesture looks, why it occurs (the speaker is mentally keeping thoughts in, often when asked about sensitive topics like an ex), and distinguishes it from polite briefness in low‑stakes questions. Vanessa then outlines three possible observer responses when the lip‑purse is detected: (1) dig deeper by probing further, (2) note the cue and circle back to the topic later, or (3) simply record the observation without pressing. The segment serves as a practical guide for reading this micro‑expression in everyday conversations.
