Non verbal communication

The previous post, i posted about verbal communication. Therefore, now, i will post about non-verbal communication. YES.. That's right..

Now, what is non-verbal communication? For some people out there would be thinking, how can one communication without talking or what-so-ever.. Now, let me tell you. According to wikipedia, non-verbal communication is usually understood as the process of communication through sending and receiving wordless messages.

Such message can be communicated through body language, eye contact, gestures, facial expression or physical appearance, for instance, hair styles or clothing. Speech may also contain nonverbal elements known as paralanguage such as emotion and the way you speak.

For example, for people who are unfortunately cannot talk and speak out, they use sign language to communicate which is also considered as non-verbal communication. However, these people are very sensitive to the surrounding.



Another example would be baby communication. When a baby is at the stage where he is not able to talk and express out what he wants, he will do non-verbal communication too. Have a look at the picture below.

oops.. abit blur.. it's okay. just to let you know there is something like this.

I would like to share an article with you guys here. Found it from http://www.helpguide.org/mental/eq6_nonverbal_communication.htm

Ted, Arlene and Jack are all articulate speakers who say one thing but communicate another with disastrous results in their relationships:

Ted thought he had found the perfect love relationship when he met Sharon, but Sharon isn’t so sure. Ted is very eligible. He is nice-looking, hardworking, and a smooth talker. The trouble is that Ted seems to talk more to himself than to Sharon. When Sharon has something to say, Ted is ready with a reply before she finishes her thought. This makes Sharon feel ignored, and she has begun dating other men. Ted loses out at work for the same reason – his inability to listen to others makes him unpopular with many of the people he most admires.

Arlene is attractive and has no problem meeting eligible men – it’s keeping them that’s the problem! Arlene is funny and a good conversationalist, but even though she laughs and smiles constantly, she radiates tension. Arlene’s shoulders and eyebrows are noticeably raised, her voice is shrill and her body stiff to touch. Being around Arlene makes many people feel uncomfortable. Arlene has a lot going for her that is undercut by the discomfort she evokes in others.

Jack gets along with his colleagues at work, but not with those who matter most to him. If you were to ask them why, they would say that Jack is “too intense”. Rather than look at you, he devours you with his eyes. And if he takes your hand, he lunges to get it and then squeezes so hard it hurts. Jack is a caring guy but has a terrible time being in sync with people. This awkwardness also limits his ability to advance to a managerial level at work. He just isn’t seen as good with others.

ps: All of these articulate, well-intended people struggle in their attempt to connect with others. None of them are aware of the non-verbal messages they communicate.

-Michelle Tan-