Interesting Facts About Body Language

Linguistic and Nonverbal Components of Our Communication

Have you ever thought about how interpersonal communication actually works? Many people clearly overestimate the share of spoken words. They assume that we communicate 70 percent verbally and only 30 percent through gestures and facial expressions. However, the reality looks quite different: The spoken word accounts for just 7 percent of interpersonal communication. In contrast, 93 percent of understanding occurs in the nonverbal realm. This means that, in addition to the content, it is crucial to consider, how what is being expressed. Gesture, facial expression, tone of voice, but also coughing, clearing the throat, and clapping, as well as jewelry and clothing – many factors play a role in interpersonal communication.

Receiving and sending signals

Whether consciously or unconsciously – you continuously send signals to your environment. This starts as soon as you get up or at the breakfast table. Without explicitly stating it, your partner quickly realizes whether you are ready for lively conversations at such an early hour or if you are more of a morning grouch. You already show this through a certain posture and an open or rather 'grumpy' look.

And while you are constantly sending signals, your unconscious is simultaneously ready to receive the messages from those around you. It collects sensory impressions in fractions of a second, analyzes them, and triggers a bodily reaction before you even have the chance to formulate a response in your mind. These reflexes mean that you are already unconsciously communicating your feelings to the other person – whether you want to or not. It escapes your direct control – unless you are a professionally trained actor. Positive feelings, for example, manifest through a barely noticeable smile, bright eyes, open hands, or blushing cheeks.

The attentive observer will not miss this, and they will also react spontaneously and without being able to consciously control it. Our very own body language is thus the most honest and sincere expression of our personality.

Exercise to Train Understanding of Body Language

To train your perception of communication signals, try the following: Observe how people interact the next time you sit in a café or walk in the park. Try to find out what relationship they have with each other. Train your eye to recognize the mood of individuals, who feels uncomfortable or exuberant, who seeks closer contact with their counterpart, or who is flirting with whom. You don’t need to know the various nonverbal expressions in detail. It is enough to observe your environment closely and let random scenes affect you.

The three-second unit

No matter where in the world and whether people from the same or different cultures communicate, there is an unwritten rule that is the same for all nations: People divide their communicative actions into short units of about three seconds. Whether you shake someone’s hand, hug them, or show them a threatening gesture – everything happens in this three-second rhythm. Pay attention to how long you can look someone in the eye without blinking or feeling uncomfortable. Unless you are lost in the beloved eyes of your partner, you will likely be surprised to find that this moment lasts about three seconds. When strangers look at each other, they briefly avert their gaze after this time span. However, if unknown individuals look into each other’s eyes for longer, this is often the magical beginning of a flirt.

Cultural Differences in Body Language

Other means of communication are not the same everywhere. There are symbolic gestures that we take for granted and consider clear, but which have a completely different meaning in other cultures. This can sometimes lead to uncomfortable situations, as a former president of the United States painfully experienced: When he visited the Australian continent at the beginning of his term, he greeted people warmly and brightly with the victory sign. An extremely awkward faux pas, as this gesture at that time in Australia had the same meaning as our extended middle finger. However, the gesture of spreading the middle and index fingers in the form of a 'V' has since established itself on the fifth continent as a sign of confidence in victory.

A stay in India could be disastrous for some Western-educated individuals: The head shake, which means 'no' for us, clearly signals 'yes' in India; our nodding for 'yes' means unequivocally 'no' in India. However, you don’t need to travel fifteen or more flight hours to have such experiences. Even in Europe, we don’t always mean the same thing from country to country: In Greece, Malta, and Sardinia, for example, the thumb and index finger forming a ring does not mean 'everything is fine' or 'my recognition'. In these areas of Europe, the sign is understood as a sexually obscene allusion.

If you have a business negotiation with the English, don’t be surprised if your British business partner finds it rude when you seek direct eye contact. The Englishman will instead try to speak to you from the side and negotiate in that manner.