This cartoon is an example of acknowledgement messages from the chapter. Acknowledgement messages are messages more than confirming which is recognizing one’s presence such as greeting a colleague. Laughing at a joke is a form of nonverbal acknowledgement messages, which demonstrates support for an individual. Listening to one’s sorrow and supporting them emotionally by acknowledging their feeling is a form of acknowledgment message. This cartoon conveys the importance of acknowledging messages in a relationship by stating “they lived happily ever after, so long as…” . 

This example is resembled in every relationship dynamic. I have experienced this when I share my distress with my mom, and she gives a response devaluing my emotional distress. This act persuades a message that would ignore and reject to listen and support me emotionally.  Acknowledgement messaging is a great tool that teaches us that when a person is sharing their emotion, we should never state one individual’s emotions are an unreasonable reaction, but rather to listen and support them by not criticizing an individual but purely be a shoulder to lean on.  It demonstrates sympathy towards one another by acknowledging them and valuing their emotions.  https://www.newyorker.com/cartoon/a26262

Chronemics is the study of how people use time, and it’s a form of nonverbal communication. There are people who are always on time and earlier and in contrast there are always late comers as well. How we perceive them differs, if its consistent tardiness we start to assume that they will always be late. How we allocate time is part of nonverbal communication, when a student listens and pays attention to the teacher and participates in class we come to conclude that this student has a higher level of interest in comparison to another student who is on their phone. 

Similarly this cartoon illustrated the low level of interest in parents to their family. The entire family is distracted and busy entertaining themselves, this is the sad reality of today’s world. As the title of this cartoon suggests it’s an unending spiral of screen time. This family is nonverbally communicating to each other that their phones and ipads are more important than each other. 

I strongly agree with the message of this cartoon, there is a rule in my family that there are no phones during dinner and when we are having a conversation with our family. This act shows respect and signals that we are fully present. 

https://www.newyorker.com/cartoon/a60287-rd

Chapter 2 places an emphasis on the significance of the nonverbal communication through the example of the Nicaraguan children. In an attempt to educate deaf children, the Nicaraguan government brought all the deaf children from remote places in one place and soon those children started communicating with each other through the signs and gestures they have used to communicate. They have established their own new language, the Nicaraguan sign language. Through collaboration with other deaf children, they have established this language. 

This editorial cartoon defines the role of non verbal communication, as an example of a peacock non verbally calling the waiter to the table. The peacock is unintentionally grabbing the attention of other dinners, as we can see them looking over their shoulders. 

I have been through a similar situation when I was in the train and nearing my stop, I changed my spot and sat next to the door. I felt that as if I had unintentionally nonverbally signaled that I preferred to sit elsewhere to the other passenger that I was seated beside. Perhaps after a short period of time, they have realized that my intention was only to move closer to the exit.  

https://www.newyorker.com/cartoon/a60451