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Understanding Communication | 25

Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal communication is the most basic form of communication. All the
cues, gestures, facial expressions, and attitudes towards time that enable peo-
ple to communicate without words are different forms of communication.
Anthropologists theorize that long before human beings used words to talk
things over, they communicated with one another through their bodily ges-
tures. They gritted their teeth to show anger; they smiled and touched one
other to indicate affection. Although we have come a long way since those
primitive times, we still use nonverbal cues to express superiority, depen-
dence, dislike, respect, love, and other such feelings.
Most people deceive each other quite easily with their words, but since
actions speak louder than words, their body language gives away their real
intentions. Words are relatively easy to control; body language, facial expres-
sions, and vocal characteristics are not. By paying attention to these nonver-
bal cues, you can detect deception or affirm a speaker’s honesty.
Nonverbal communication differs from verbal communication in fun-
damental ways. For instance, it is less structured, and hence is more difficult
to study. You cannot pick up a book on nonverbal language and master the
vocabulary of gestures, expressions, and inflexions that are common in our
culture. Even experts do not really know how people learn nonverbal behav-
iour. No one teaches a baby to cry or smile, yet these forms of self-expression
are almost universal.
Nonverbal communication also differs from verbal communication in
terms of intent and spontaneity. You generally plan your words. When you
say, ‘Please get back to me once you finalize you annual report,’ you have
a conscious purpose; you think about the message, if only for a moment.
However, when you communicate nonverbally, you sometimes do so uncon-
sciously. You don’t mean to raise an eyebrow or to blush. Those actions
come naturally. Without your consent, your emotions are written all over
your face. Good communicators generally recognize the value of nonverbal
communication and use it to enhance the communication process.
One of the famous communication researchers, Virginia Johnson, holds
the view that nonverbal communication is so reliable, that people generally
have more faith in nonverbal cues than they do in verbal messages. It can
also be argued that nonverbal communication is not reliable. One may put
forth a view that somebody may fake crying. However, it is very possible
to differentiate a person who cries with agony and who fakes crying. You
explain a complex concept to your students. In response to your question-
whether they have understood or not- some may respond verbally in terms
of ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and some may respond nonverbally by nodding their head. Do
you straightaway take them for granted that they have understood the con-
cept? Or, can you make out fake nonverbal response? In the same way it is

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