Remember these painted up brothers from that viral video a few years back? If you've never seen it and want a chuckle, please watch it. Make sure you're somewhere you can belly laugh. Don't just watch it for the laughs though. Watch it to remind yourself how powerful non-verbal communication is.
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Lesson 1 - Don't be afraid to pause.
The brothers don't utter a word until 36 seconds into the video. Older brother only starts to speak when he's ready to throw younger one under the bus. Then he reverts back to silence. Classic negotiation strategy at work! Pauses are powerful.
Lesson 2 - It's all in our facial expressions, our eyes and gestures!
The boys would have been well advised to tone down their body language to accompany their silence in the opening half minute. Isn't it amazing how much they communicated without saying a word?! As for the incriminating paint...can't help you out there boys!
Lesson 3- Don't let your non-verbal language contradict your verbal language.
Older brother asks Dad repeatedly, "What's so funny?" He receives confusing signals. Dad says, "Nothing's funny." but understandably cannot stop smiling and laughing. No surprise that our hero, the crafty older brother, starts smiling too, once he decided to believe the non-verbal signals over the verbals.
Thank you boys for the laughs and the lessons!