Verbal vs. nonverbal communication and how it impacts a conversation

 Part 1:

1) Instead of asking open-ended questions, our conversations were focused on yes/no answers. However, I began to notice how much he used nonverbal communication while talking. He relied on hand gestures and shrugs, which aided in my comprehension of his questions. He said that the conversation was quite bland for him, as I wasn’t able to express my opinion on topics and it more felt like he was talking at me.

2) He had most of the power in the conversation since he could change the topic, ask questions, and describe his thoughts in detail. While I was still part of the conversation, it felt like I was a participant and not a leader.

3) Within their population, the person able to speak would have the advantage of communicating complex ideas. Since everyone understands one language in that population, it is easy to use words to describe certain topics or concepts that would be difficult using non-verbal forms of communication. The culture who has symbolic language may feel that the culture without symbolic language is unrefined/simplistic, but that may not necessarily be true. While it is hard for me to imagine what life without a symbolic language might be like, I think that we would find a way to survive and communicate with others. It may not be as detailed as with symbolic language, but it isn’t something that should be looked down upon. Humans without the ability to communicate with a symbolic language likely feel ostracized and unable to fit in with society, as many people are unwilling to adapt to support their needs. Just as I did, they may not feel like they have as much power as those who can speak/write a symbolic language, and it may limit their personal and professional life. 

Part 2:

1) I did last the full 15 minutes, but I had multiple slip-ups where I noticed my tone was changing or I’d do a slight nod or smile. I think since I’ve been accustomed to speaking like this, it is hard to break the habit and stop all nonverbal communication. We are taught to nod and smile when we are listening to someone to show that we comprehend what they are saying, so the other person takes that nod and smile as a sign that you are paying attention. 

2) When I was forced to stop using nonverbal communication, my partner found that it felt like I was staring at him and he was unsure if I was paying attention or not. To be fair, part of my mind was distracted because I was trying to focus on not using nonverbal communication. He definitely didn’t feel like this was a normal conversation that he could have with me normally and not notice anything out of the ordinary, so clearly something was missing.

3) Nonverbal communication acts like a sidekick to speaking when we are in conversations. While you can understand what someone says without nonverbal communication being used, it limits what emotions you can express and the subtlety you can have. Instead of sounding dejected or discontent, you would have to say “I am unhappy with how things are going”, which sounds like a plea for attention rather than someone truly expressing their opinion (this example isn’t always true, but it often is in conversations I have). If your body language doesn’t match your words, it may be hard to understand what tone someone is trying to use. Sarcasm might be harder to pick up on and you may not understand what emotion someone is truly feeling if their nonverbal and verbal communication methods don’t match.

4) Many people in our society have difficulties reading body language, such as those with autism. They may struggle to pick up on what people truly mean when they speak, as words don’t always match our intentions/feelings. If you need a direct answer quickly or it is something very basic, not reading body language may help in getting a yes or no. If a waiter is at your table and needs your orders, but your friend goes “Well I’d eat this dish, but I guess I could also eat this dish”, they’re likely using nonverbal communication to express their thoughts, but when in a time crunch, sometimes you just need to pick one option. 

Part 3:

1) The experiment may have been easier in Part 1 with written language, but it also would have defeated the purpose of the experiment. I would likely not have used body language and instead focused on writing all my thoughts. This would’ve been an interesting experiment to do, but writing would dominate over body language due to its ability to be specific or open-ended whenever necessary.

2) Written language allows for communication to occur even when 2 people aren’t present or don’t directly communicate. Alternatively, written language could allow for communication to huge groups when mass-produced, like in a newspaper. This allows for widespread flow of information even if radios/televisions don’t exist.

3) Written language is very easy to translate since the author understands that nobody can see them, therefore the tone of their writing must be clear to readers. This easily allows for information to spread across the world, as long as translators exist. However, some jokes or allusions may not translate well, so authors must be careful to make their writing basic if their intention is for it to be translated.