Body Language

When someone mentions language, often the first thing to come to mind is verbal or written languages. One of the incredible creations of both humans and animals is non-verbal communication. Body language allows us to interpret a great amount of information from a person without ever having spoken a single word.

A recent article in Psychology Today addressed the need for children to be taught about body language. Joe Navarro, the author of "What Every Body is Saying" was approached by many parents and asked how they should go about telling their children about body language and at what age they should start. He calls body language our "primary means of communication" and believes "it is every parent's responsibility to socialize their children" which includes teaching them about body language. He gives a list of ten things parents can do starting at about the age of two, including lessons such as the meaning of all nonverbal communication, the power of body language to communicate emotions, and the usefulness of learning to read the body language of others.

I do agree that body language plays unique role in our lives. It explains why we often do not even have to speak the same language as someone else and yet still comprehend one another. Body language differs throughout different regions or countries but it remains a universal means of relating to one another without speech. It can help you in situations to read the emotions of those around you; whether it is something small such as your interactions with a girlfriend/boyfriend or something more substantial like a job interview.

Looking further into the importance of body language, I found an article in which reading body language becomes crucial to one's safety. As mentioned earlier, animals also make use of body language and failure to read a dog's body language resulted in a life threatening situation for a young boy. Specifically referring to dog bites, "experts say an animal's body language speaks volumes, and most bites occur because people can't interpret their pets' postures and signals." In these circumstances, it would be vital for a child to understand body language because an animal (either pet or in the wild) may portray warning signs of aggression. Misunderstandings like this can occur with two human beings as well. A "dirty" look or the middle finger can often spark arguments and fights. Our communication with other beings in the world are not limited to written or vocal interactions and we should not overlook the role body language plays in our lives.