Non-verbal communication
https://pixabay.com/photos/sculpture-wood-child-parent-figure-2406078/
We are in a world that is visibly more interconnected. We communicate more and more with each other, and among ourselves. But communication is no longer mostly face-to-face, as it was a century ago, where the smallest part of communication resided in written communication (letters, books) or performances (theater, concerts, museums). Today, there is information for all tastes and needs. It's certainly not the case that we're more enlightened.
All this information often leads to us not looking for sources. We take certain news or facts for granted simply because we trust that person or medium. With AI flourishing, this is something that will be worrying in the very near future. Handing over our validation to a source that may not be “human” and may be based on inaccuracies could lead to changes even in the governments of a democratic country.
But today, I don't want to go down that road in my reflection. We spend much more time, more than ever, looking at screens and communicating or “communicating” with those on the other side of our own homes... Is it just for our own pleasure of having the feeling of being able to reach the other person whenever we want? Where does our freedom end, and the other person's? But I don't want to go down this road in my reflection today either.
Look at how long it takes us to write texts on communication apps like whatsapp, telegram, instagram, etc... The number of emails exchanged, between people who may even be physically close, but which make things easier and take up less of our time.
And this is exactly what I was getting at. By handing over our “face-to-face” interaction, we end up leaving one of the most powerful means of human interaction in the hands of substitutes, which, like decaffeinated coffee, or sugar-free and caffeine-free cola.... Only a part of the whole remains.
And what do we leave out? In our interaction with others, in the first few milliseconds, there are facial expressions and body positions that give a lot of information about us and our perspective. A sidelong glance tells you that the other person is actually thinking... Which would be lost if the communication had been written, or even by video conference or video call.
We have an enormous capacity to communicate without saying a single word. Let's look at our ability to comfort our neighbor when, at the wake, we just hug them or put our hand on their shoulder. No words can replace that. The same goes for babies. We know that non-verbal communication is just as important, if not more important, than verbal communication.
Years of research have shown that newborns interact with their environment through touch and presence. The simple fact that the mother is present when the baby cries out of discomfort for something that isn't supplied at that moment calms their anxiety. A completely undervalued language.
Companies today are betting more than ever on a team building strategy. What is this if not the real communication that we as humanity have always had, and that our jobs and lives have ended up diluting with the greater and ever-increasing share of the day spent staring at screens, or not interacting with those in front of us?
We must never forget the non-verbal side of communication. When we think that a good application email for a fantastic job may be enough, let's not forget that our posture on the day of the interview, our gaze, the position of our hands and the tone of our voice convey much more than we might superficially think.
I hope you enjoyed this little reflection today.
Cheers🍀
Free image from Pixabay.com
