Scrutinising Non-verbal Aspects of Speech ..............................................
Because we take meaning from the way a message is delivered as well as from
the words themselves, it’s advisable to pay attention to the non-verbal
aspects of speech. The volume, the pitch, the pace, and the tone of a person’s
voice can give you a pretty good idea of someone’s mood and attitude. Add in
accent, rate, and emphasis and the picture becomes clearer.You can usually tell a person’s mood by the way she uses her voice. If the
voice is low in volume, sombre in tone, slow in speed, and lacking in empha-
sis, you can figure that she’s feeling sad or depressed. If the pitch is high, the
pace quick, and the words tumble out of her mouth, chances are that she’s in
a state of excitement.If a person lifts the pitch at the ends of her sentences and is neither asking a
question nor Australian, you may be right in thinking she’s feeling a bit inse-
cure or uncertain about what she’s saying.Nervousness and deception, characterised by stuttering, stammering, or
adding ‘ums’, ‘ers’, and ‘ahs’, indicate that someone’s not clear about what
she wants to say. Polished performers eliminate those space fillers and count
on the pause to provide authority and indicate confidence.Anyone who can make you laugh has got to be okay, right? Laughter is infec-
tious. It makes you feel good. Laughter lifts the spirits and as long as you laugh
with, rather than at, another person, the results are positive and beneficial.Finally, the person who wants to demonstrate that she has higher status than
another, aims to have the last word on a subject.Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Find Out about Someone without Asking 283