Week #4 Nonverbal Communication and Knowledge is Power

Nonverbal communication often speak louder than words. I observe nonverbal communication everyday and use it often too. I’m the first to admit that I’m terrible at eye contact and sometimes use too much hand gesticulations. It can be overwhelming. When I talk to people, I often observe how often they make eye contact and where they are looking. Sometimes I wonder if my lack of eye contact is cultural and how that effects my family life versus my academic or professional life. At home when I’m speaking with my elders, I only make eye contact sometimes. It’s common for me to look down or elsewhere while speaking to my grandparents especially my grandfather. I didn’t realize this was a sign of respect or even submission until I read about it in Chapter 5. I’m Asian-American and it is a sign of disrespect to make direct eye contact longer than quick glances. Sometimes I don’t even realize it. However, when I’m with my friends or I’m at work, I tend to make eye contact more. I look directly at people’s eyes to show that I’m attentive and care about what they have to say. If I don’t make eye contact in this scenerio, my conversation partner would perceive me to be uninterested and even rude. When I’m in class or meeting with my professors, eye contact is essential because they are an authority figure whom I want to impress. If I didn’t make eye contact when I spoke to my professors, my teacher would most likely perceive that as rude. Even in class, I always try to look at my instructors in the face unless I’m trying to avoid answering questions in class. Do you use different nonverbal communication skills when you confront different cultures? Do you experience dichotomous cultures that require different communication in your daily life also?

I am a big believer in education and I think everyone in our class believes in it too. Otherwise, why are we in college? People who have knowledge tend to make more money because others depend on their expertise to improve their own lives. Because of this dependency, it would appear as if the people who have knowledge have power over others who don’t. If this is true, than to some degree everyone has power. It’s just based on what kind of knowledge is regarded as important in a given situation. Sometimes I feel very powerless depending on who I’m surrounded by. When I’m talking to my cousin, Hlee, who is an attorney about her opinions on congressional laws, I feel powerless. I feel especially powerless because she is an expert on criminal law and can impart knowledge about something affects many people. I can not. Have you ever experienced a situation where you feel you can’t contribute useful information or perhaps you have experienced the opposite. Did you feel as if your knowledge or lack of knowledge on the subject affected society as a whole?

On a side note, I know the textbook says that it’s possible to inform without persuading, but it’s really hard to be perfectly objective. By choosing certain information to present we are always leaving out other pieces of information. In a way, you are persuading whether or not you intend to. I wonder if others feel the same way. Can we as humans truly obtain objectivity?