One of the cornerstones of our lives is communication. The ability to talk with one another, convey ideas, bond, and tell stories has always been one of the keys to the success of the human race.

The ability to document history has helped us learn from past mistakes, and the ability to record knowledge and pass it along through verbal and written communication has allowed for more haste in technological, societal, and spiritual advancements. Through communication, we are able to build relationships and boost efficiency. 

The way we speak to one another, our meaning and intention, is relayed through body language (55%), tone (38%), and our specific words (7%). That’s interesting to think about, isn’t it?

Our world has adapted to communicate vastly through the internet, where 93% of our true intention and meaning is lost to translation. How many times have you been misunderstood?

It can be very frustrating to accidentally use the wrong tone due to being distracted and have it result in accusations, to which you’re forced to respond, “That’s not at all what I said“. However, there are a few ways that we can all use these different forms of communication in our lives.

Group Laughter

When you’re amidst a group of people and everybody laughs, take a quick look around the room. Pay attention to where people are looking. Most of the time people who have the strongest connection to each other will look at each other.

This observation can be used to deduce who trusts each other in a workplace environment or otherwise. Additionally, pay attention to whom you subconsciously look at while you’re laughing; you may discover that they are looking back at you.

Body Language

A good way to know if you have the person you’re talking to captivated or not is to look at their feet. Studies have shown that a person will typically direct their feet toward the person they’re talking with if they are interested in the conversation.

So, if you’re talking to your friend and their feet are facing outward, maybe it’s time to lighten up the conversation or change the topic.

Favors

Everybody convinces themselves to do things. Sometimes we have to find a justification for our intended actions. So, if somebody asks us to do a favor, we start to think of reasons to help them, to unconsciously justify why they are willing to help.

Some of these may be things like, “I like him,” or “he’s a good person, he deserves to be helped occasionally.” As soon as a person has convinced themselves of one of these things, they believe it a little more. Obviously, in order for any of these thoughts to occur, they have to be true to some extent, so be sure to be a good person…

There are many things that we can do with simple observations and through communication with one another. The best thing to do, though, is to be honest and always invite openness in communication.

We all have our own perspectives, and a lot of times these perspectives and intentions can become lost in translation and confused. As long as we talk to each other and maintain a respectful mindset and an open mind, our ability to connect with other people will grow.


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