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We are capable of saying a lot without using a single word. The face, body, eyes, and voice can provide a lot of information without words. Emotions, intentions, attitudes, agreement, disagreement, acceptance, rejection, and so many messages are transmitted instantly without any language at all. The combination of verbal and non-verbal information can help clarify or understand what a person means or intends.
Tone of voice, hand gestures, how close or distant a person positions himself or herself from you has meaning. The context or situation in which the social exchange takes place can impact how the communication is interpreted.
The person communicating the information may do so spontaneously or on purpose, consciously or unconsciously. What kind of information is being converted into nonverbal cues? A person's identity can be communicated by their unique style of walking, their sex, or if or how he or she smells. It appears that women communicate more non-verbal information than men through their voice, hands and face. They smile, touch, gaze, and may stand closer to you than a man. Their voices tend to be softer than a man’s. Facial expressions can communicate happiness, sadness, depression, anger, fear, anxiety, or surprise which will impact how a social interaction is going. You can learn a lot by looking at a person's facial expressions. The words we use along with the tone of voice also can tell you a lot. The vocal tone for a question, statement, command, contradiction, criticism or put-down can be quite different. The tone can regulate the path of a conversation and how you feel during and after the conversation is over. A certain tone may suggest that it is time for the other person to speak, that a person finished a sentence, or is done talking. Who you are talking to is a factor. Talking to a child or a baby can be very different from talking to a boss or policeman.
Hand and arm gestures may mirror what someone is talking about. They may gesture using scissors, hammering something, punching someone, or gesturing how tall or round something is. Hopefully, the gestures match the message rather than be random and anxious.
Body and vocal cues can suggest sexual motivation, sexual orientation, sexual interest/motivation, or simply romantic mood. A person's voice and pitch may suggest their social status, or what they think that status is. The deeper the pitch the more superior or high-ranking they may be, or think they are.
You may be saying more about yourself than you realize. Your actions, not just your words will be observed and analyzed by the people around you, and those with whom you speak. Giving some thought to what image you want to portray to others can make a difference. Other people are being influenced not just by your words but how they are packaged