An upward curve of the corners of the mouth, denotes a cheerful, optimistic disposition and mental attitude. Likewise, a downward curve denotes a despondent, pessimistic disposition and mental attitude. A graceful bow-like curve, shows a well-balanced and "all around" disposition.
Tightly closed lips indicate a firmness, and often a "closeness" of disposition. Loosely closed lips indicate a lack of firmness, and often a spendthrift tendency. Lips that touch lightly and protrude slightly in a "kiss-like" shape, indicate vanity, love of praise and flattery, and often a desire to be petted.
Puffed-out lips indicate sloth, dullness, lack of energy and ambition, general heaviness. Coarse lips indicate lack of refinement, and often grossness. Particularly full lips indicate Amativeness and sometimes Sensuality.
Slanting mouths indicate trickiness, "foxiness" and general unreliability. Crooked mouths, or mouths greatly out of symmetry, are held by many authorities to indicate lack of Conscientiousness, and often criminal tendencies.
Full, red, middle-lips indicate love of the opposite sex. Thin, pale middle-lips denote the opposite traits.
A long upper-lip indicates Self-Esteem. A short upper-lip denotes deficient Self-Esteem, but often also a strong Approbativeness. (John D. Rockefeller has an almost abnormally long upper lip.)
The affectionate faculties are believed to manifest in outer form in the center of the lips, because of certain nerve centers at that place. A fullness and enlargement there denotes strong affection, while deficiency in the affectionate qualities manifest in the opposite direction.
Will and self-control is shown by the relative firmness and "set" of the lips and mouth.
Besides the above mentioned characteristics, the student will soon perceive that there are certain "expressions" of the lips and mouth which, although impossible of expression in words, nevertheless may be almost instinctively recognized by the careful observer. Lips, like eyes, tell their story plainly to the careful and practiced observer. It is a safe rule to avoid those whose mouths arouse an instinctive distrust in your mind. Watch closely the mouths of people speaking to you, and you will receive many a plain signal of danger, and many an assurance of safety. The eyes, while full of information, often deceive those not fully versed in their secret code—but the mouth tells its tale in plain, simple, understandable terms, signs and symbols.