U.S. Americans grow up perceiving silence as a frightening experience. This is one
reason they try to fill up the silence with“small talk.”
The intercultural implications of silence as a means of interpreting ongoing verbal
interactions are as diverse as those of other nonverbal cues:
Cross-cultural differences are common over when to talk and when to remain silent, or
what a particular instance of silence means. In response to the question,“Will you marry
me?”silence in English would be interpreted as uncertainty.... In Igbo, it would be consid-
ered a denial if the woman were to continue to stand there and an acceptance if she ran
away.^170
Knowing how cultures use silence can offer essential information for anyone who
interacts with a different culture. As Braithwaite points out,
One of the basic building blocks of competence, both linguistic and cultural, is knowing
when not to speak in a particular community. Therefore, to understand where and when
to be silent, and the meaning attached to silence, is to gain a keen insight into the funda-
mental structure of communication in that world.^171
As noted, silence is not a meaningful part of the life of most members of the dom-
inant U.S. culture. Conversing at coffee houses, talking or texting on cell phones
(even when driving an automobile), watching television, or listening to music on an
iPod keeps U.S. Americans from living in a silent world. In fact, silence often takes
on a negative connotation. Think of the U.S. American saying that“the squeaky
wheel gets the grease”or the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson when he wrote,“Speech
is power: Speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.”We can observe a fascinationTABLE 9.1 A Comparison of Monochronic and Polychronic Cultures
MONOCHRONIC TIME PEOPLE POLYCHRONIC TIME PEOPLE- Do one thing at a time • Do many things at once
- Concentrate on the job • Easily distracted and subject to
interruption - Take time commitments (deadlines,
schedules) seriously- Consider time commitments an objective
to be achieved, if possible
- Consider time commitments an objective
- Are low context and need information • Are high context and already have
information - Are committed to the job • Are committed to people and human
relationships - Adhere to plans • Change plans often and easily
- Are concerned about not disturbing
others; follow rules of privacy- Are more concerned with people close to
them (family, friends, close business
associates) than with privacy
- Are more concerned with people close to
- Show great respect for private property;
seldom borrow or lend- Borrow and lend things often and easily
- Emphasize promptness • Base promptness on the relationship
- Are accustomed to short-term
relationships- Have tendency to build lifetime
relationships
- Have tendency to build lifetime
Source: Adapted from E.T. Hall and M.R. Hall,Understanding Cultural Differences: Germans,
French, and Americans(Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press, 1990), 15.332 CHAPTER 9•Nonverbal Communication: The Messages of Action, Space, Time, and Silence
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