When there’s a long pause in a conversation, how do you feel? For many westerners, the silence may be viewed negatively. But that’s not the case for everyone.
Speech-oriented culture
Westerners mainly see communication as primarily verbal although in reality, research estimates as much as 70 per cent of communication can be nonverbal. As a result, silence during a conversation can feel awkward, or worse: one person might feel the other has no interest in their opinion or presence.
Silence as cultural expression
But in Japan, the use of silence is best seen as a social skill while for many African cultures silence in social settings means people are enjoying each other’s company. In Nordic cultures a silence during a conversation implies thought but in Italy and Spain, people interrupt each other freely (if they don’t, it indicates they are uninformed or overwhelmed).
Consider your host culture
Expats would do well to consider how silence is used in their host country. If you come from a ‘talking culture’, you may feel a prolonged silence is a sign that the conversation has run its course. But wait… the silence could mean the other person is relaxed in your company and enjoying a quiet moment with you. Furthermore, if they are using a second language, the other person may simply be trying to formulate a sentence in their head when you suddenly announce you’re leaving. Now that’s awkward.
Photo: Arian Zwegers – Flickr
