The urge to communicate is probably the most powerful emotion all living beings experience. It arises due to several causes like a pain or ache to be...
The urge to communicate is probably the most powerful emotion all living beings experience. It arises due to several causes like a pain or ache to be attended to, a pleasant experience to be shared, the need to warn others about the likelihood of imminent danger, or, very often, as an entertaining pastime. And a human being, described as a "...gregarious animal, living in society....", by Greek philosopher Aristotle in his book 'Politics', naturally seeks the company of others and desires to belong to social groups for emotional support and cultural development.
While the written word, in the shape of notes, letters or books is one of the most common means of communication, there is another whole world of communication, where other forms play a significant role, such as spoken words, gestures or signals.
The regime of non-verbal communication presents a wide variety of interesting alternatives such as facial expressions, body posture, eye contact, touch, the use of space and appearance. A smile or a frown, a wave or a thumbs-up, crossed arms, gazing at someone or looking away, a handshake, sitting or standing close to someone and the choice of clothes are all such forms, which express emotions, enable conversation, convey impressions, and indicate the nature of relationships, without the need for the spoken word.
Famous historical gestures include Winston Churchill's "V for Victory" sign, Angela Merkel's distinctive "Merkel-Raute" hand rhombus, and the use of the "Shaka sign" or "hang loose" gesture for its positive connotations. The context of the gesture is crucial to its meaning.
Handshakes can also be of different types and can signal weakness, aggression, dominance or submission.
Expressions using different parts of the face are effective in conveying various feelings, such as anger, disgust, sadness, happiness, surprise, fear or contempt. Of particular value are expressions of eyes, such as a wink, a roll or a blank stare, can mean mischief, disbelief, or a total lack of interest.
In addition, a furrowed brow can, for example, stand for disapproval, a genuine smile for a sincere greeting, a wave for a hello or a goodbye and thumbs- up for approval. Looking someone in the eye, likewise, can show confidence, while looking away indicates uncertainty or discomfort.
A smile, accompanied by crinkling of the eyes, indicates genuine affection, while an artificial smile, as sported by receptionists or airhostesses is usually a gesture devoid of emotion, and stands for nothing in particular, being merely a professional requirement.
Belonging to the same category of smiles are other forms like a wry, a sneer, a shy smile or a sheepish grin. Famous smiles in history include Mona Lisa's enigmatic smile.
I remember how, sometime in 2002, my wife Usha and I, while on a visit to Paris, visited Musèe du Louvre, the Louvre Museum in Paris, braving rain, in order to take a look at the famed Mona Lisa painting. The special quality of the Mona Lisa smile is in its elusive and ambiguous nature, a spectacular product of Leonardo da Vinci's masterful use of the light and shadow effect and the way the human eye perceives it.
The non-verbal communication forms also include smoke signals, used by indigenous people to share messages over long distances.
Signals also have a particularly significant role to play in the realm of transport. Lighthouse signal is very important for ships at sea, with colours and patterns serving to identify specific lighthouses. The identity of a lighthouse is often indicated by horns or bells, with a unique code of sound. Radio beacons are also used to transmit signals helpful for navigation, using the Morse code. Ships are also known to use horn signals which are sounds with specific meanings for communication in the high seas, especially in low visibility.
Similarly, aircraft blink their landing lights at each other at night, especially when flying in opposite directions, as a means of friendly acknowledgement of each other's presence and to increase situational awareness.
Also, belonging to the realm of signals, but in an altogether different context, are the gestures and sounds which animals make.
It is believed, for instance, that horses, among other animals, can sense environmental changes before an earthquake and may exhibit signs of distress, such as stomping their hooves. Frantic and sharp chirping of birds in a forest is a means of warning, both in order to alert members of their flock, as well as confuse the predator.
Silence also serves as a powerful, deliberate tool for communication, conveying meanings such as agreement, tension, empathy, or disapproval, and can be as impactful as spoken words. Its effectiveness depends on context, the speaker's non-verbal cues like eye contact, and cultural understanding, as interpretations of silence vary significantly.
Going even further, New York Times bestselling author Mandy Hale, creator of the social media movement 'The Single Woman', who cuts to the heart of single life with her inspirational, straight-talking, witty takes on life and love, says "Don't waste your words on people who deserve your silence. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can say is nothing at all."
By way of ending this piece on a humorous note, here is a story that I heard, and which best illustrates the situation. There was this man who had just returned home after having paid a visit to his hair dressing saloon. His wife observed that it was a good haircut the man had had. The man corrected his wife saying that he actually had his hair dressed. One thing led to another, and soon the difference in opinion led to a violent quarrel, resulting in the man dragging his wife forcibly to the canal just outside the village and drowning her. When the man angrily asked his wife, what she would now say, the stubborn and resolute woman, completely inside the water, put both her arms out and, using only the fingers of her palms, made a scissors like gesture, indicating that she was firm that it was a haircut which the man had had!