Human communication takes place not only through language and speech. A lot of information is conveyed by facial expressions, gestures, postures. Full communication is possible with a harmonious combination of verbal and non-verbal communication.
What is verbal communication?
Experts identify two main channels for transmitting information between people, and it is believed that more information is communicated by non-verbal means of communication than by means of verbal means (53%). Nevertheless, many people believe that the only way to convey information or to influence a person is through verbal communication.
Verbal communication traditionally means speech and everything that is associated with it. Not only the words themselves are of great importance, but also intonation, timbre, the construction of phrases, the use of certain layers of vocabulary. The same phrase, spoken with different intonation, can have many meanings, which will often be opposite in meaning. That is why there are many punctuation marks in written speech that tend to add an intonation component to the text.
Features of non-verbal communication
Non-verbal communication includes many nuances and characteristics. The fact is that information is transmitted not only by speech, but also by gestures, facial expressions, position in space, direction of gaze, presence or absence of tactile contact, as well as its character.
Various branches of psychology are exploring different ways of non-verbal communication. For example, the science of the position of people relative to each other is called "proxemics". She identifies several main zones or distances, each of which has its own meaning. If only the closest people are allowed into the intimate zone, then public distance means giving speeches or lectures in front of a large audience.
With the help of gestures, you can convey confidence, calmness, excitement, boredom, aggression, isolation and even insincerity, albeit by accident.
Gestures play an important role in non-verbal communication. Recently, the practice of using certain gestures to manipulate the interlocutor has been widespread. The point is to give your message some additional meaning that does not correspond to reality. This technique is used by politicians who deliberately use gestures that symbolize openness and trust when communicating with voters.
There are so-called false gestures. They can be identified by excessive emphasis and the fact that they are slightly ahead of facial expressions.
Also, the technique of influence with the help of non-verbal means of communication, especially facial expressions and gestures, is common in the field of active sales. By the way, such professionals, as a rule, easily determine the insincerity of the interlocutor precisely by their non-verbal characteristics. In order to perceive all the information from those with whom you communicate, it is worth studying the meanings of the most frequent gestures, this will allow you to better understand your interlocutors.
