Being Human - Rockhurst University

QDuring a conversation, which contributes moreto our understanding — language or nonverbalcommunication?AResearch suggests nonverbal communicationis even more important than spoken words. Ifsomeone says they’re not being defensive and youperceive they are, you will believe the nonverbalcues over the verbal. If they are smiling or usingother readable body language, these are signalsthat are universal.QCan you think of any well-known examples frompopular culture that involve miscommunicationbased on cultural differences?AI think one of the strongest examples comes fromsocieties involved in war or strife. A friend of minefrom another part of the world told me he hadbeen trained from childhood to think of peoplefrom a different ethnic group in an animalisticway. When that happens, the next logical step isannihilation. Studies in rhetoric show that if youcan talk about people in a certain way, you can killthem. You see this a lot with certain hate groups.When people are allowed to say these things overtime and then they come together collectively,they believe they can take action. Metaphorically,if you believe people are like animals, innatelydefective, evil or inferior, this can lead to wantingto annihilate them. People don’t stop to thinkabout the connection between what they’re sayingand the logical extension of their words.QAHow can we benefit from communicating withpeople from other backgrounds?These exchanges give us opportunities forunderstanding and appreciation of others. Also,in our global economic community, knowingmore about other cultures opens new doorsfor career growth.“Studies in rhetoric show that if you can talkabout people in a certain way, you cankill them. You see this a lot with certainhate groups.”15 SPRING 2000