Communication can come
in two forms from what I have found out in my Interpersonal Communication
class. There is verbal communication as in language, and then there is
nonverbal communication as in gestures, facial expressions, and body language.
Body
language is a major form of communication. Humans use body language in there
daily lives to communicate with others even when we don’t mean to. You can see
if someone is bored with your conversation, sad, angry, confused, or even
lying. Did you know that body language is studied by politicians? They use body
language to communicate with voters. Voters look for someone energetic, which
makes the voters energetic as well. I know, I don’t want to vote for a
politician that is slouching, and unenthusiastic in their gestures. I want
someone who passionate about what they are trying to say.
Body
language has been around for….well…ever, but it hasn’t really been studied to
the full extent until Dr. Paul Ekman came around. He began his research on body
language in 1945. As Dr. Ekman researched facial expressions of emotion, he
found that facial expressions are not culturally determined, but is universal
across human cultures. What this means is that facial expression are
biological. The expressions he found that are universal are anger, disgust,
shame, joy, sadness, and surprise. As of today, Dr. Ekman is still researching
body language, and developing techniques to distinguish and measure facial muscular movements.
To learn more about Dr. Ekman and his
research, here are a few great links to check out:
Body language can be read even by you! Here
are a few easy steps to get you started in reading body language.
1) Hands and fingers:
Hands can have many expressions. If the palms
are open, that means they are relaxed and not on defense. A pointing finger can
mean a person is pointing to an object or a place, or it can indicate anger.
Drumming or tapping fingers can indicate frustration and tension.
2) Eyes and eyebrows:
People who look to the sides a lot are nervous, distracted or
lying. If someone is looking down at the floor a lot, they shy or timid. Dilated pupils mean that the person is interested. If their
eyes seem far away, that usually indicates that a person is either not
listening or just in deep thought.
3) Arms:
People with crossed arms
are displaying defense, authority, or discomfort. If someone has their arms
behind their neck or head, they are open to what is being discussed and
comfortable.
I'm not very good at reading body language. I think it has to do
with the fact that I'm a very shy person. I shall try harder now since I know
the basics in reading body language. You should try it as well. If you are
interested in more ways to identify what body language means, here are a few
educational links:
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