Substituting Verbal Messages

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Nonverbal cues can also be used for substituting or replacing words. For example, a traffic officer’s raised palm substitutes for the word stop, and wagging a finger at a toddler can indicate “no” without your saying anything. Substituting is common in situations where words are unavailable, as when you’re communicating with someone who speaks a different language from yours. It’s also common when words are inappropriate (such as situations that call for silence) or unintelligible (such as noisy situations like a party, where you might signal your partner that you’re ready to leave). Substitution can also signal information you’d rather not say aloud. For example, you raise your eyebrows at a friend seated across the table from you when the other friend you’re dining with mentions (for the tenth time) that his current internship is paying him really well.