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There is so much more meaning to a message than
what exists in the spoken/written word. For example, if a person says,
"You know, Barbara, I really like you" it will have different meanings
depending on if it is said by/to a man or a woman, in a work
environment or a bar. Eye contact, physical distance, relationship
between the speaker and listener, context, the tone of voice, and the
stress put on certain words are all aspects of the message which give
meaning to the words being said. In fact, these factors can provide
much more meaning than the words themselves. Sarcasm is a perfect
example of how non-linguistic aspects of communication relay meaning.
If a friend says to me, "Gee, I can't wait to vote in the upcoming
election", the way I interpret that message will be based upon my
knowledge of my friend's political views, the situation with the
current campaign, and my ability to understand the meaning behind the
tone of voice.
Our ability to interpret such cues is subconsciously developed through our process of socialization. The meanings that we attach to certain non-verbal aspects of communication seem inherent to us. Our
interpretation of these cues just comes naturally. Now take into
consideration that every culture has its own set of cultural cues that
each member of that culture understands. It's easy to see how a person
from Culture A and a person from Culture B may interpret the very same
words in totally different ways.
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