By Marcia Naomi Berger, MSW, LCSW

Do you know how little weight your spoken words can have in a relationship? We might think that what comes out of our mouth is what a listener takes in. Yet studies by Dr. Albert Mehrabian and colleagues confirm the truth of the familiar maxim, “It’s not what you say; it’s how you say it.”

Here is what they found regarding how much of the message received by the listener is based on the sender’s words, voice, and body language when people are communicating about their feelings and attitudes:

 Spoken words: 7 percent

 Voice tone: 38 percent

 Body language: 55 percent

Voice tone includes volume and inflection. Examples of body language include eye contact or its lack, facial expression, body position (such as facing toward or turned away from the other person, arms open or crossed), and posture. Especially during an important conversation, be aware of your voice tone, and body language, as well as of the words you say.

Remember to smile when you express appreciation and to look your partner in the eye when you want to connect. Use a friendly, soft voice if you want to come across as accepting and compassionate, even when discussing a problem or challenge. When you sit side by side, rather than across from each other, you help foster a sense of cooperation.

The Gift of Silence

Saying nothing can be the kindest and most effective form of communication, when done sensitively, especially when your partner most needs to feel heard and understood. Listening with complete concentration, not injecting your own thoughts and feelings into the moment, can be a treasured gift.

Dr. Larry Meredith, my former boss at San Francisco’s Alcoholism Evaluation and Treatment Center, eventually became the Director of Health and Human Services for Marin County where I reside. After he gave a talk and stepped down from the stage, I joined a group surrounding him, waiting for my turn to say hello.

An irate woman approached him and preceded to loudly criticize him about a matter for which she viewed him responsible. Did Larry defend himself? Apologize? Repeat back to her what he’d heard so she’d know he’d been listening? Ask her what she wanted him to do now?

He remained silent while looking into her eyes with a startlingly compassionate expression while she spoke and after she finished. A few seconds later, her face softened. Regarding him appreciatively, she said “Thank you” and walked away.

Larry knows how to give everyone the feeling that he values what they have to say, that he understands, because he genuinely listens and cares.

Listening Can Say More Than Words

Larry’s compassionate listening style serves as a model to apply in marriage. Your spouse may complain about a job concern, rude driver, or you. What is most wanted, at least at first, is to know that you are really, fully listening. Often the best thing you can do is to sincerely, silently project this attitude.

Compassionate listening happens naturally when we empathize. It is not a “technique” or something we can fake. Listening half-heartedly while viewing a smartphone or television screen is counterproductive. Pretending to listen when our thoughts are elsewhere shows a lack of concern. Pay attention to yourself. Know when you’re really being fully present to each other.

If a verbal response wanted, the person might request your opinion or advice. If you’re not sure, you can ask, “Do you want to hear my thoughts?” Your feedback might be helpful—if sought.

Many of us find that venting helps us process our thoughts and feelings. When we are simply heard, a solution often arises from within, as if by magic. Which is, by the way, what happens in good psychotherapy.

The challenge is to avoid injecting our own thoughts and feelings into the conversation when not asked for them. It can take a conscious effort to notice when we’re tempted to jump in too fast. Breathe in and out a few times, then return to pure listening.

Certainly, there’s a place for words. Yet most communication, and often the most powerful kind, is expressed with silence.

1 A. Mehrabian and M. Wiener, “Decoding of Inconsistent Communications,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 6 (1967): 109–14; and A. Mehrabian and S. R. Ferris, “Inference of Attitudes from Nonverbal Communication in Two Channels,” Journal of Consulting Psychology 31, no. 3 (1967): 248–52. Other pertinent articles are listed on Mehrabian’s website under “Personality and Communication: Psychological Books and Articles of Popular Interest,” www.kaaj.com/psych

Author: Marcia Naomi Berger LCSW

Marcia Naomi Berger, MSW, LCSW, author of Marriage Meetings for Lasting Love: 30 Minutes a Week to the Relationship You’ve Always Wanted (New World Library, 2014), is a licensed clinical social worker with a private psychotherapy practice in San Rafael, California. She says, “My special area of interest as a therapist is to help people create relationships that are emotionally and spiritually fulfilling, as well as satisfying physically and materially. I believe in marriage and recognize how societal changes have resulted in new relationship challenges for many people.” She sees individuals, couples, groups, and families in her private practice in San Rafael, CA. Marcia Naomi Berger is a popular keynote speaker and workshop leader. She offers simple, practical tips for enriching marriage and other relationships by using positive communication skills and helps people reversing unconstructive habits many people learned as children. She offers executive coaching services and corporate trainings including topics such as “How to Deal with a Difficult Person,” “Mindfulness Training,” and “How to Say No.” Her online class, “The Marriage Meeting Program: a Strength-Based Approach for Successful Relationships ,” appears on the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) site. She has taught continuing education programs at UC Berkeley...