Nonverbal Cues: How Frequently Do Unspoken Messages Go Unnoticed?

While communication is commonly identified through verbal responses, many fail to recognize that 93 percent comes from nonverbal cues such as eye contact and hand gestures. For this assignment, I aim to dive deeper into the understanding of nonverbal communication and its importance when interacting with others. I chose this as my area of interest because people are easily persuaded by words, causing many to fall for something that may be untrue. This not only applies to a professional environment but personal connections as well. I contemplated between nonverbal communication and interpersonal because there is a lot of commonality between the two. For example, both dive into a deeper understanding of communication and can strengthen relationships by further understanding both subjects. I ended up deciding on nonverbal communication for various reasons. One being that many nonverbal cues cannot be controlled and are unconsciously displayed. This confirms if an individuals intentions match what they are saying or if they have an ulterior motive. Additionally, there is a lot going on in our country as of today, causing national leader to be analyzed more closely. By educating myself on body language and physical contact, I hope to further understand the messages that might be missed by an average person.

Nonverbal communication is commonly overlooked, for it is not commonly identified. As I stated before, the power of body language is becoming more important regarding those set at a higher standard. Recent articles have been published with the intention of analyzing current presidential candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Picking up on certain cues can help identify what information will be important later during the campaign and which arguments he takes more seriously than others. Additionally, nonverbal communication is known for strengthening relationships and connecting with others on a more personal level. While I enjoy meeting new people, I aim to make connections with those I know will have a deeper impact on my life and those around them. By strengthening my nonverbal skills, I can further understand one’s true intentions and see how they unconsciously treat others. This can also allow me to be a more empathetic leader, and further understand another individual’s way of doing things. It can be difficult to play yourself in another person’s shoes and know why they act the way they do, but by staying open-minded, this can become less difficult.

Everyone has had experience with nonverbal communication; however, they might not realize the importance of these unspoken cues until they decide to focus on them. As for myself, I have previously taken both Nonverbal Communication and Interpersonal Communication. My interpersonal course did include some forms of nonverbal cues and vice versa, yet more interest sparked when discussing unspoken behaviors. My class encouraged me to further educate myself on the topic through daily activities, such as people watching and grabbing coffee with a friend to pick up on cues I may not normally notice. I have seen many articles explaining the importance of nonverbal communication and hope to connect that with other forms of communication that might also go unnoticed.