Nonverbal behaviors and the ability to correctly read and understand them is a very difficult skill to master. Nonverbal cues consist of every behavior, attribute, or object (except words) that a person exhibits. An example of a nonverbal behavior would be an eye roll. In a certain situation, an eye roll can mean that the person is annoyed. In another situation, it can mean that the person is frustrated, and in yet another situation, it can mean that a person is playfully teasing a friend or family member. For example, I roll my eyes sometimes when I think something funny. An eye roll can mean many different things, depending on the context of the situation and the person or people involved. It is difficult to pick a correct interpretation without being in the context of the situation, and even then, you are not guaranteed to pick the correct interpretation. This is why nonverbal cues are so hard to read and understand. Another example would be body language. Some people cross their arms across their front which usually signifies that they are putting up a barrier, because they are uncomfortable or want to create some distance between themselves and other people. I frequently cross my arms, because I am cold, and it is often misread that I am uncomfortable with the situation I am in. At other times, though, I cross my arms because I am uncomfortable in the situation. Sometimes, I even have to stop and think to myself “why did I just do that,” which further demonstrates how complicated nonverbal cues are, because sometimes the person giving the cue is aware or sure why they are even doing it. Nonverbal cues are hard to fake and used extremely frequently, which is why it is a useful skill to know how to read others nonverbal cues.
Can you think of other example of nonverbal cues and how they are often misread or misinterpreted?
Sometimes a frown or sad face can mean many different things. For instance, when someone is sad, they frown. Also, when someone is mad or angry they frown. Sometimes even when people are annoyed, they frown. This action can very easily get mixed up by anybody.
ReplyDeleteA nonverbal cue that I can think of that is usually misinterpreted is when someone is crying. You cannot usually tell exactly how they are feeling. You may think that they sad but they may be crying because they are happy. It can confuse someone that is put into that situation.
ReplyDeleteNonverbal cues are really hard to read because of how confusing they can be. People ask me sometimes if I'm feeling okay when I feel just fine. It makes me wonder what kind of nonverbal communication I'm giving off.
ReplyDelete