PATIENT: I'm concerned about being put to sleep.
HEALTH CARE PROVIDER: Yes, it can be frightening turning your life
over to others. However, you'll have an
exceptional surgical team, including a
highly qualified anesthetist watching you
throughout the entire operation.
Section III. NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
2-5.
ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS
a. If you want to get a true picture of a person's feelings, do you focus in on what
he is saying or how he is saying it? Both are certainly important factors, but nonverbal
clues often give a more accurate "picture" of a person's feelings than his words alone,
especially if he is trying to hide something. For example, think about the following
nonverbal messages and what they might reveal about a person.
(1)
Facial expression (smile, frown, blank look, grimace).
(2)
Gestures/mannerisms (fidgeting, toe tapping, clenched fists).
(3)
Eye behaviors (avoiding eye contact, staring, wide eyes).
(4)
Posture (erect, slouching, leaning toward/away from someone).
(5)
Voice (sarcastic, stammering, shaky).
(6)
Interpersonal distance (how far a person sits/stands from another).
(7)
(8)
Appearance (face, hair, body, clothing).
(9)
Environment (office, desk, car, house, room).
b. These signals may tell you whether a person is relaxed or tense, concerned
or indifferent, friendly or distant, happy or sad, confident or unsure of himself, serious or
joking. They might tell you that he is embarrassed, afraid, or angry. By paying close
attention to the nonverbal messages another person sends out, you can learn a lot
about that person's feelings. By paying attention to the messages you send out, you
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