Trained actions
Some actions have to be learned. For example, say you want to wink. You give
it a go and it doesn’t quite work. You give it another go. This time it’s a little
better, still with plenty of room for improvement. Desperate to be an adept
winker, you deliberately and doggedly practise until you manage it. You learn
how to wink.Most of you aren’t going to join the circus, where somersaulting and walking
on your hands is required, but at some time in your lives you shake hands
with other people. Having an adept teacher helps. Watch a parent teaching
his child how to shake hands properly and you see a trained action being
taught.Refined actions
Several categories of actions influence the many behaviours you perform in
your adult life. Some, like crying, are inborn. As an infant you cried uncontrol-
lably. As a toddler you wept and shouted. As an adult you can still let your
emotions all hang out or suppress your sobs, depending on local cultural
influences.Consider the way you cross your legs. As a child you discover that sitting
with your legs crossed is a comfortable position. You do it without thinking.
Then society intervenes. As you mature, the way you cross your legs emu-
lates other members of your sex, nationality, age group, and social class. And
you don’t even notice it’s happening.At times, when you’re mixing with people you don’t know too well, you may
feel uncomfortable, without knowing why. The reason is because the others
are moving, acting, and gesticulating in a manner different to yours. Even
though the differences may be subtle, they’re detectable.A Final Word on Non-verbal Gestures..........................................................
Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson, and all the other great actors of the silent
screen knew how to use their bodies, gestures, and facial expressions to
convey messages to their audiences. With the advent of the talkies, the only
actors who survived were those who were able to communicate successfully
by combining their vocal and physical skills. Many a pretty face fell onto the
cutting room floor for want of a decent voice.40 Part I: In the Beginning Was the Gesture