subject: Understanding Body Language - 2 Interesting "What Ifs" [print this page] Understanding Body Language - 2 Interesting "What Ifs"
Copyright (c) 2010 Steve M NashThey say that only 7% of communication involves actual words.A massive 55% of communication, can you believe, is down to body language - how we hold ourselves, the look in our eyes, how we smile or frown or growl! Well, what if it were the other way round? What if only 7% of communication was body language and 55% of communication was expressed via words? Well poor ol' Mae West, for one, would have had far too much time on her hands that's for sure. Mae famously said this once: "So many men, so little time."And the reason she said that, was because she also said this: "I speak two languages, Body and English."So if body language was less important in how we successfully communicate... well, as I said, maybe Mae West would have had far too much time on her hands.Actually, maybe not. Truth is, she was also an expert in English - in *speaking* and listening to it! The rest of us, though, would have to become experts at speaking and listening. Meaning, we'd all have to learn how to explain ourselves verbally AND be lucid listeners.All sound a bit odd and unnecessary?Well okay, if you don't like that 'what if' idea to do with body language - if you think it's sensible that 7% of what we say comes from our words and 55% comes from our (often involuntary) body movements - then how about this 'what if' scenario?What if 'body language' was a course you could study at college?What if each term students gathered together and did exercises, role plays and a whole lot of other physical activities that enabled them all to understand the body language signs better.What if the course had modules that were called:* Interpreting body language - "the ABCs" or * Reading people's body language (with an add-on module for the study of suspected criminals), or * Body language in communication - understanding body language... You get the idea.Well do you think employers would rail against yet another daft vocational course, OR do you think they'd get all of their staff (especially their sales staff) enrolled tout suite?How do you think banks and shops and restaurants would cope if all their staff were graduates possessing this new body language degree?How much better would big businesses run if their staff not only had been taught in how to write emails, but if they also had to be expert at how to read body, too?Yes, what if body language *was* a skill that was taught like this, rather than having to rely on a) having natural body language reading abilities, b) reading relevant books on the subject, or c) reading (occasionally daft) body language articles to learn the truth.What if!Well, I know at least one individual (ahem!) who would be a whole lot happier and successful in life if this 'crazy' situation I've just described was true.Alas, the reality of the situation is not like this at all.In fact, Mae West sums up the truth of how much we all struggle, sometimes, with the vagaries of body language with this amusing quote:"It isn't what I do, but how I do it. It isn't what I say, but how I say it, and how I look when I do it and say it."Clearly, understanding body language is an important skill to learn.So my only advice to you is this: whatever way you learn how to read body language, the important thing is that you *learn how*...Now if you'll excuse me, I've got that Mae West coming round for tea and I have to get rid of all the clocks...
