Do you agree that non-verbal communication is as

important as fundamental needs of life? If yes,

describe in detail, any four non-verbal
communications with your own/personal examples?
Aditya Joshi - 1921143
One of the most distinguishing features that separate human beings from the other forms of life
is perhaps our ability to communicate. While we have had quantum leaps in methods of
communication ever since we began to understand it, it wasn’t always this way that we
communicated. It took our kind hundreds of years to develop a verbal form of communication
and with time, we have only made it more inclusive and effective. It is 2020 and we have
reached new heights of verbal communication, and yet the other aspect of communication - the
non-verbal communication - largely remains understated. The truth is that we need non-verbal
communication as much as we require verbal communication. It is as important to us as any
other fundamental need of life.

Four examples of non-verbal communication from my own experience are as follows.

1. With Our Parents

The advent of the coronavirus pandemic has changed the world as we knew it. It has changed
everything we knew about the way the world works and has brought us all both closer and away
from each other. Most students of my age have moved back to their homes from college. When
we moved out for college, we expected to never come back to our homes like before - we would
be in college for at least three years and then hunt for jobs and only return as guests in our own
houses for just the festivals and family events.

The current situation has, however, brought us closer to our parents. It is an unusual time as
even our parents are home all the time. With more than a month of living with our parents, it
only reminds us of the communication between us. The non-verbal communication has perhaps
overtaken the verbal communication as we have run out of things to talk about. We do not use
words to communicate as much as we previously did. From our fathers bringing us our plate of
breakfast in the morning to our mothers quietly looking at us using our phones all day, the non-
verbal communication has been amplified. We can look at each other and just know what the
other person is thinking without speaking a word. It is both beautiful and haunting.

2. With The College Security Guards

Before the current situation, we would all go to college every single day and pass through the
invisible security guards, flashing our identity cards in our hands. I call them invisible because
we see them every single day, but hardly notice them. We only notice them on days we forget to
carry our ID Cards to college. When we do notice them, it is hard to realize that we have never
spoken to them. We just show them our ID Cards and go in. So, naturally, all we communicate
through is non-verbal communication. They are especially great at reading faces. They can
always tell by looking at our expressions if we have our IDs or not. It is remarkable that they
have developed such a sharp sense of non-verbal communication that has almost become a
part of their jobs.

3. With A Close Friend

Friendships come in all shapes and sizes. As we get older, we begin to look at friendships
differently and our friends change. As friendships bite the dust, we become wary of who we
allow to get closer to us. At my age, people start to choose friends carefully as no one can be
trusted and it gets harder to find people who are as real and honest as they seem. But once we
find them, we hold on to them and confide in them.

It is a beautiful relationship to be great friends with someone. And once that friendship is
reached, we tell our secrets and vulnerabilities to each other. A point comes in the friendship
where we know too much about each other and there isn’t much to tell and that’s when the non-
verbal communication begins to grow. We begin to get comfortable in the company of each
other without actually talking to each other. We begin to understand how the other person
thinks. This form of non-verbal communication is a thing of beauty for us now because it is hard
to find friends who understand you on a deeper level.

4. With Dumb Charades

In Indian houselholds, Dumb Charades isn’t just a game, it is a feeling. It is something that
everyone has played in their childhoods with their cousins, parents and relatives. It is something
that connects us all. From birthday parties to family reunions, no family event is complete
without a round of this game and everyone loves to play it.

Yet, it is surprising to realize that the entire game is a masterclass in non-verbal communication.
The game literally demands us to avoid all verbal communication and communicate through our
faces and expressions, and it is a thing of beauty in just understanding each other with cues and
clues. It is equally surprising that it is one of the things that brings us all closer to each other and
doesn’t involve any talking.

The above four are everyday examples of non-verbal communications that are just as essential
as the verbal communication is. Both are part of who we are and how to communicate to each
other.