When Words Aren’t Enough

Growing up in Korea, I loved English.

Not just the meaning of words, but the sound of them.

The rhythm. The intonation. The tone and expression. The way a language moves through someone’s mouth.

As a child, when I heard someone speaking another language, I used to wish I could somehow understand what they were really saying without knowing the words.

I imagined that if I could focus on the feeling underneath the language — the tone, the rhythm, the quality of the voice, something beyond the words — I might understand.

And the older I get, the more I wonder if this isn't so far-fetched.

We communicate through words, of course. But we also communicate through breath, rhythm, facial expression, movement, voice, attention and presence.

Our bodies are constantly sensing and responding to one another.

There is even research showing that when people listen to the same story, aspects of their physiology — such as heart rate, breathing and skin conductance — can become synchronized.

I remember times when I felt connected to people I barely knew, without having spoken much at all.

I wonder if this is resonance. Or maybe entrainment.

Maybe not everything we communicate is meant to be put into words.

Perhaps language begins long before we give it a name.