THE BODY SPEAKS VOLUMES

THE BODY SPEAKS VOLUMES

Body language is a form of non-verbal communication consisting of body pose, gestures, tone of voice and eye movements. People unconsciously send and receive non-verbal signals all the time. It is often arguably said that human communication consists of 93% body language and paralinguistic cues, while only 7% of communication consists of words.

In our everyday lives, we body language to put across our message; to obtain constructive feedback; as well as to acquire whatever we need. Although we may be oblivious to it, we employ body language constantly. Besides, it is our entire body and not just our mouth that is involved in this language.

Our body says a lot about our feelings and sometimes reflects what’s going on in our minds. For instance, it is easy to know someone with low self-esteem as he/she walks with drooped shoulders and may fail to make eye contact. This is said to signal that the person is avoiding communication. Low self-esteem highlights weaknesses and mistakes which usually is a put-off for those who notice it in others. Low esteem may make the person feel stupid and inadequate and may result in being further put down by others and self.

This situation could be changed to a more assertive one, by walking tall and sitting straight with the shoulders back. It is important also to maintain eye contact as this exhibits self confidence and high self-esteem. People are attracted to these qualities in others and most times high self-esteem and confidence open doors that are somewhat difficult for someone with low self- esteem.

Your body language can tell if you are friendly or not. When you put a smile on your face, and make eye contact, it is obvious you are open to communicating with others. When our body language is changed positively, we become assertive and others will respond to the new feelings of high esteem and self-respect they perceive.

Our body signals could give us away, especially if one is telling lies. There is persistent belief that people with shifty eyes are probably lying. However, nervousness can manifest itself in the form of shifty eyes. Paul Ekman says in his classic work, Telling Lies: Clues to Deceit in marketplace, Politics and Marriage, that a group that excels in making eye contact, which appears very sincere, is a group of pathological lairs. It is therefore not safe to rely on eye contact alone as a measure of sincerity.

It is extremely essential to recognize whether people take an interest in what you communicate or else it is simply a wasted effort. For example, think of yourself as a teacher. Are you really imparting knowledge to your student, or do you take it for granted that they are learning from you? Do you think your teaching skills are sufficiently sharp to kindle their interest? Now unless you understand the various body signals transmitted by all the various students, you would not understand how they are taking to your teaching. And unless you recognize whether gazing constantly with unblinking eyes at you is an indication of interest or a sign of daydreaming, you just will be unable to take the requisite steps to attune yourself to their learning requirements. Different body gestures send out different messages which are interpreted in different ways based on people’s cultures. In western culture, children are trained to make eye contact while speaking or being spoken to, whereas the African culture sees this unflinching eye contact as disrespect to an adult.

If you wish to communicate well, then it makes sense to understand how you can use your body signals to say what you mean.