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Nonverbal Communication Has Fewer Rules

Nonverbal communication is more ambiguous than verbal communication because it is governed by fewer rules. As you saw in Chapter 6, you learn literally thousands of constitutive and regulative rules regarding grammar, spelling, pronunciation, and meaning as you master your first and any additional languages. But consider how rarely you’ve been instructed in the use of nonverbal communication. To be sure, nonverbal rules do exist, such as “Raise your hand if you want to be called on.” However, most of these rules are informal norms—for instance, “It’s not polite to stare at people,” and “You shouldn’t stand too close to another person in an elevator, if only two of you are riding.”