How We Communicate
All of us communicate nonverbally as well as verbally. To Westerners, a firm handshake immediately conveys an outgoing, expressive personality. With a gaze, an averted glance, or a stare we can communicate intimacy, submission, or dominance. Among these passionately in love, gazing into each other’s eyes is typically prolonged and mutual. Most of us are good enough reading nonverbal cues to decipher the emotions in an old silent film. We are especially good at detecting threats. Even when hearing emotions conveyed in another language, people most readily detect anger.
People also communicate their emotions. First, the person perceives that something great has happened-her lottery ticket number was just announced on TV! She might smile, laugh, and literally “jump for joy”. Then she might begin to consider ways to expand on or share her happiness, such as calling her parents.
Read more about this topic: Human Communication
Famous quotes containing the word communicate:
“In some ways being a parent is like being an anthropologist who is studying a primitive and isolated tribe by living with them.... To understand the beauty of child development, we must shed some of our socialization as adults and learn how to communicate with children on their own terms, just as an anthropologist must learn how to communicate with that primitive tribe.”
—Lawrence Kutner (20th century)