The subjective nature of one’s language can influence the way listeners perceive the meaning of what is being said. It is important to not only consider what is being said, but how it is being said. The meaning of words can be relative and situational. Words are likely to be interpreted differently by different people and in different situations. Communicators that have more in common with their background, experience, and attitude, will be more likely to perceive words or conversations in the same way. One of the ways perception can be affected is due to regional differences. One word will mean one thing in this region but may mean something completely different …show more content…
A communicator can be really engrossed in their conversation and get loud and not even notice. This can make one perceive that anger is the intended meaning of the conversation when it is just the communicator being passionate about the topic. Sarcasm can determine one’s tone of voice as well as their word choice. It can be very hard at times to know if a communicator is being sarcastic or serious. One can be discussing something very important about something they may be extremely aggravated about, yet they are laughing when they speak. Is it meant to come across as funny or are they expecting the listener to perceive it as being an obvious means of sarcasm to an irritating situation? Non-verbal communication is another way listeners may misperceive what the communicator is trying to say. Facial expressions and kinesics (body language) play important roles in how communication and language are perceived. If the communicator has their arms crossed while speaking, it can be perceived as them being bored, upset, or even frustrated when really, they are just cold and trying to warm their hands a little. Any little movement of the face or the body can and will be perceived differently by different people no matter the