Communication and Emotion

Communication is possible without words too. And this is largely thanks to the basic emotions every share.

When anthropologists first come onto contact with a previously isolated people, their only means of communication is via facial expressions and bodily gestures, many of which are specifically designed to express emotions.

The anthropologists may smile, an expression that will be recognized immediately by the isolated tribes people.

The tribes people may smile in return, showing that they share the same basic emotional repertoire.

Different cultures have elaborated on this repertoire, exalting different emotions, downgrading others and embellishing the common feelings with cultural nuances, but these differences are more like those between two interpretations of the same musical works, rather than those between different compositions.

Just as two orchestras will play the same symphony slightly differently, so two cultures will play out their emotional repertoire in different tones.

It will be clear to all however, that the score is the same.
Communication and Emotion