Autumn Naledi – Special to the Southern News
It has been know that the biggest factor of communication is body language. It begins with a facial expression, hand gestures, roaming eyes just to name a few. I believe that body language overrides any other form of communication, aside from verbal. Body language becomes an untold story to those who interact with each other; it is more than just the way a person presents themselves to an opposing person. It is also the untold connection that is made from a distant as well as up close.
There are three main factors to body language, facial expressions, posture, and other forms of body movement. It becomes a belief that body language is more than just looking at another person, it is the physical communication sometimes brought on by intimacy, and curiosity, which can begin with a simple look. When we think about body language a few things cross our mind, what does this look mean? Is there any interest? As kids we were always taught that it is impolite to stare because it comes off as being rude.
Well, this once taught lesson has become a non-existent factor in social settings ranging more outside of the classroom. When we pick a place to go to on a night that we are free and choose a place to go to it is usually a place where we can experience some form of interaction with other people. It first begins with a set of friends, who enter a bar seeking good music and someone to dance with. Once the songs start to become remixed, the adrenaline from your inside begins to peak out in your dance moves. Once this begins, we find ourselves looking at someone with admiration the eye contact becomes a seeking opportunity for someone to make the anticipated first move.
The first thing that becomes noticeable is the facial expressions. It becomes hard to detect what someone’s facial expressions mean when they oppose the opposite action. For instance, a man could be at a bar with his “wing man”, and admire a woman from a far. To get things going he expresses a smile and gives a wink, when this action becomes reciprocated the first move is sometimes made by the receiver. This is perceived to be a good thing, until the man at the bar either disappears or his smile turns into disgust. The way in which we perceive body language is mental. When we are given something as simple as a smile we begin to become put at ease. It’s hard to detect what some facial expressions means, but what about posture and stance?
When someone stands up straight with firmness it is an indication of either authority and or confidence. To go back to a setting of a bar, when someone see’s someone from afar and they hold a stance of authority and a facial expression of disgust or firmness it sends a completely different message than what is intended. When it comes down to it, one’s perception is based off upon what they are given. It is ultimately always going to be an untold story, an unknown memory to thought and any other questions.
