Nonverbal Communication Is Fluid

Chances are you have had many experiences where words were misunderstood or where the meaning of

words was unclear. When it comes to nonverbal communication, meaning is even harder to discern. We

can sometimes tell what people are communicating through their nonverbal communication, but there is

no foolproof “dictionary” of how to interpret nonverbal messages. Nonverbal communication is the

process of conveying a message without the use of words. It can include gestures and facial expressions,

tone of voice, timing, posture, and where you stand as you communicate. It can help or hinder the clear

understanding of your message, but it doesn’t reveal (and can even mask) what you are really thinking.

Nonverbal communication is far from simple, and its complexity makes our study and our understanding

a worthy but challenging goal.

Where does a wink start and a nod end? Nonverbal communication involves the entire body, the space it

occupies and dominates, the time it interacts, and not only what is not said, but how it is not said. Try to

focus on just one element of nonverbal communication and it will soon get lost among all the other

stimuli. Let’s consider eye contact. What does it mean by itself without context, chin position, or eyebrows

to flag interest or signal a threat? Nonverbal action flows almost seamlessly from one to the next, making

it a challenge to interpret one element or even a series of elements.

We perceive time as linear, flowing along in a straight line. We did one task, we’re doing another task now,

and we are planning on doing something else all the time. Sometimes we place more emphasis on the

future, or the past, forgetting that we are actually living in the present moment whether we focus on “the

now” or not. Nonverbal communication is always in motion, as long as we are, and is never the same

twice.