World without words!

Photo: Brett Lamb

Human communication skill is very powerful. However, it does not occur in a vacuum; it occurs in a specific context. The power of communications to draw others near or to drive them away derives as much from how we appear as from the language we use.
When people think about communication, they generally think about language. But language is just one form of communication -- and perhaps not the most important one.
In fact, we use many other vehicles of expression to communicate our thoughts, feelings, desires, and wishes to others. These other means of communication are not verbal -- they do not use words -- but nonverbal.
Applied either naively or artfully, nonverbal expressions, gestures and signs can complement language. These silent messages, expressed through face and body, can communicate motives and thoughts, or they can embellish, minimise, or disguise them.
Nonverbal behaviour can highlight or accentuate our emotional states. They convey how excited we are or whether we are angry, upset, or happy. We can also get conflicting messages from nonverbal behaviour. The words coming out of someone's mouth may tell you one thing, but the person's nonverbal behaviour (tone of voice, gaze) may tell you something else.
The nonverbal dimension is spontaneous and automatic. No one ever taught us how to do this; we do not attend classes in nonverbal behaviour. All of our education about nonverbal behaviour is informal, learnt in our homes and on the streets. Nonverbal behaviour is just like a second language, albeit a silent, unspoken one. Just as cultures develop spoken, verbal languages, they also develop unspoken nonverbal languages.
Nonverbal communication takes place through behaviour, signal or sign projected by a person. For example, if you smile and your friend smiles back, communication is occurred. The correct information need not always be delivered.
Can we produce or interpret nonverbal messages correctly when communicating with people from cultures other than our own? The answer is yes and no, and sometimes a combination of both -- even for signals rooted in our evolutionary history.
We have found that some nonverbal behaviour is universal, eg., the meaning behind a look, keeping interpersonal distance, smiling etc. However, local cultures reveal varied tolerances and expectations for their display. Facial expressions of emotions are interpretable cross-culturally but, depending on where you travel, it may be more appropriate to portray an emotion you do not feel than to reveal one that you do. Culture even regulates the messages that parts of our anatomy convey.
It is important to understand that not all cultures view or perceive nonverbal communication in the same manner. Gestures, a kind of nonverbal behaviour, are movements of the body, usually the hands, that are generally reflective of thought or feeling. Many cultures exhibit differences in the use of gestures as illustrators, and the possibility of unnecessary intercultural conflict is all too real.
The "V" for victory sign with index and middle fingers is an example of cultural differences in gestures. This gesture is commonly used in the United States to mean victory, and it has been widely used in other countries as well.
It is said that some members of the Greek and American military may have insulted former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and then they gave that sign with the palm facing backward instead of forward. Facing backward, it is a common English insult equivalent to an American saying "up yours."
The original "V" for victory sign is given with the palm facing outward. But you would not want to do that in Greece because it is an abbreviated form of an insult there. The gesture evolved in Greece from the practice of throwing garbage and dirt from the streets toward criminals as they were paraded through the streets.
A "thumbs up" sign, which has become an almost universal sign for "okay," may have a very derogatory meaning in Australia and some parts of Eastern Europe. In South East Asia "thumbs up" is considered to be very offensive behaviour -- indicating that you are ignoring and humiliating the person. However, in Malaysia and Indonesia it is perceived as a kind of greeting. In Arab countries this gesture does not exist at all.
A "finger circle," formed with thumb and forefinger, in America means "okay," but it is considered a vulgar or obscene gesture in Germany and Brazil. In Russia and Greece it is considered impolite. In Japan it signifies "money" and in France it symbolises "zero."
Another important aspect is the outcome of competition between individuals' ranks in the social hierarchy. In some cultures a gaze fosters less intimacy between individuals from different social classes. Reports on nonverbal behaviour suggest that members of dominant social groups often perceive this act as showing disrespect.
Thus, we see the distinctive touches each culture or social class imprints on its method of nonverbal communication. As we encounter those of other cultures or social classes, it is important to remember that each of us has the desire to communicate as fully as possible with others. Nonverbal behaviour in many forms is often the most revealing and striking means by which we allow others to understand our thoughts and feelings.
In the changing world, people need to move for employment, immigration and other reasons. It may so happen that we need to spend four seasons of a year in four countries, and have to adapt to the local culture where we often use language without words -- facial expression and body language.
The study of nonverbal behaviour should advance rapidly but carefully to give us better understanding among ourselves and of others in different cultures. As we talk about globalisation we need to widen our cultural filter so that greetings of one culture should not lead to misunderstanding with a person or group in another culture.

S.H. Mahmud teaches Psychology at the University of Dhaka. The paper is based on his Easter lecture to faculty during his stay as Fulbright Professor at Alvernia University, USA.