Communication is the means by which we express our opinion, idea, reaction, thoughts, doubts, beliefs to other person/s. This is done by the following methods/means:-
- By body language- facial expression, physical gesture, gait, carriage, movement.
- By word of mouth- speech, its tone, tenor, undulation, intensity, gravity.
- Written: - By letter, article, book, handbill, advertisement.
Body language can be said to be the primordial communication. Prior to development of language, the only means of communication was body language. Since this- the body language is far- far older than the written/verbal one, it still is very powerful and effective. It conveys much more than words and is HONEST. Even today, while we are being heard, we are being watched too. This means, we are understood both by what we say and the physical expression. Here it is of utmost importance to understand that we do not convey by our words alone. We communicate as much, if not more, by our physical expression. And if the two are not in consonance with each other, our communication result in fiasco. It should be our constant endeavor to improve our communication skill both verbal as well as physical. If we are congratulating a friend on his successful achievement, using the words- “I am immensely happy that you have qualified the entrance test for I.I.T,” it should carry the expression in our broad smile and a face beaming with vicarious pleasure. In that case alone will our communication sound authentic, honest and sincere. Failing this our friend could ask himself in silence- “Did he mean it?” We render our message beyond suspicion when we are able to combine the two expressions harmoniously.
This is not true of verbal communication face to face alone. When we talk on phone, we do convey our feelings in the voice, its tone and its intensity. Greet somebody on phone with a broad smile; the receiver does listen to your ‘smile’. Yes, he does. And surprising though it may sound, the written message too convey our feelings between the words, between the space and in the margin and not only in the words. So write in a happy frame of mind and the letter will bear authenticity.
The idea of putting all this in detail is to emphasize that communication , in order to be meaningful and purposeful, is sent and received with one’s whole being. Every sense of perception should be completely involved.
We sometimes wonder if we do convey ourselves wholeheartedly, how will the other person involve his whole being to receive the same. He will. He is bound to. He cannot remain indifferent. The total involvement of the communicator becomes infectious for the receiver. Try to recall the lecture of an enthusiastic professor, who would involve himself in his presentation completely (If you had had the fortune of listening to one such.) and remember how the entire class was enthralled. That is what happens when an orator of repute speaks. And that is just how an article/book becomes alluring. The logical conclusion that can be drawn is that not only communication but anything done with honesty and sincerity will carry conviction. Will prove itself. On lower levels of social interaction, most of us come across people who simply are liked not for wealth, power, position, prestige but simply by their expressions. In this their verbal expression may be poor but they have a captivating physical expression, which does not mean, what we often judge as looks but the feelings which are conveyed by the body language. They are welcome everywhere and are heard with attention and admiration. One of such shining examples was Mahatma Gandhi. He had poor hold over Hindi. Was so scantily dressed as to be dubbed by the British as half-naked Fakir. He had a nearly skeletonised physique. Wasn’t fair. And yet when he would speak, in public or private, he would spell-bind.
The only reason was that he was:-
- Honest in what he stood for.
- Had unshakable convictions.
- Absolutely sincere.
For this reason, he didn’t require verbal or written language to communicate. He conveyed through his whole being with convincing authenticity. What is true at higher level is true of lower strata. And this is true everywhere.
While, therefore, we must sharpen and chisel our linguistic skills, they will not bear legitimacy if they are not amply supported by the body language. In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that our verbal/written language can get nullified if the body language, the tone of speech, does not carry the feeling- as earlier pointed in the case of the friend’s doubts when we congratulated him. To further lead this instance of a friend’s success, to another dimension; let us assume a dumb neighbor of the student goes to him. He will put on a broad smile, exude happiness through his eyes, wide open the arms to give him a hug and pat him on the back. He did not utter a word, as he could not, Yeh ,he spoke volumes. The import of it all – do not take body – language easy. It is essential.