Nonverbal is more Believable

I can be horrible at reading nonverbal communication so the theory that nonverbal communication tends to be perceived as more believable; can be completely lost on me. The theory points to the idea of its not what you say but what you do that counts most.  According to Woods it’s that people put more trust in nonverbal communication than verbal when it comes to true feelings (Wood, 2013, p. 120).  Nonverbal communication is an unconscious language that shares our true feelings and vice versa (Jeanne Segal, 2012).

My friend Katrina is in a volatile relationship with an older guy named Mike. This is definitely a love hate relationship although it seems like hate most of the time.  Being there to witness some of the fights, they all tend to start the same way, Katrina makes some comment about fun she had somewhere else or wanting to go somewhere other than their place. Then when Mike makes an underhanded comment about her not wanting to hang with him she says no she doesn’t but her nonverbal communication says different: arms crossed, eye rolling, voice gets higher in pitch and louder.

This theory is incredibly useful because it’s something that we all need to start paying closer attention to. It’s useful in my real life example because it explains that when you know someone well enough you learn their mannerisms and typical body language. So unless you work hard at controlling yourself, your nonverbal communication may betray you if you’re trying to lie.  This theory now makes me a little nervous about my interactions with people if I’m trying to hide something.  

Works Cited

Jeanne Segal, P. M. (2012, May). Nonverbal Communication. Retrieved June 15, 2012, from Helpguide: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/eq6_nonverbal_communication.htm

Wood, J. T. (2013). Interpersonal communication: Everyday encounters (7^th ed). Boston, MA: Wadsworth.