Here’s Why Actions Don’t Actually Speak Louder Than Words
By Keara Steele
1. Actions are acts, and people can “act” like anything.
Humans are natural-born actors. We take on roles in life and form our opinions, beliefs, and lifestyles around these roles. We put on brave faces and go to jobs we hate everyday just to act like we are satisfied with the roles that we are given. Sometimes we get passive aggressive and act like certain individuals don’t bother us when in reality we get anxiety at the sight of them. There are times when we fall out of love with our significant others, but we act like the love remains because we don’t want to hurt anyone. We even get really sad at times but act like nothing’s bothering us at all. Every day we put on an act that does not necessarily coincide with how we feel. Therefore we cannot always view someone’s actions as truer than their words.
2. Actions can be misinterpreted.
Have you needed a moment for yourself and decided not to interact with friends or family members? Nothing was wrong, you just needed some time alone. But now everyone’s either concerned that you’re mad at them or mad in general. Do you see how easily an action you took was misinterpreted? People can have their own reasons behind their actions that don’t have to comply with what you believe they mean and vice versa. Every action does not have a steadfast meaning. There isn’t one way to act that will define how you feel about something. People can act and react to situations in a very wide variety of ways that we may not understand at all.
3. Actions don’t always give insight to how people actually feel.
There are people who have a rough time with being affectionate. This may be due to past traumatic experiences or just a lack of empathy. That does not mean that they don’t love their significant others. It does not mean that these actions are specifically targeted towards their significant others. If it is a problem in the relationship, it is time for the couple to discuss these actions. It is more important to have clear, direct lines of communication with people before taking their actions as their word. People act out all the time due to misplaced feelings as a result of not having effective lines of communication.
4. Judging actions is not more effective than communication.
Actions should not be viewed as a direct line of communication. If someone has not vocalized their feelings, then you should ask. ASK. TALK. Don’t just make assumptions. If you need to know something, what is the best practice to take to figure it out? ASKING. I can not stress this enough. If someone isn’t texting you back in 0.2 seconds or spending every day with you, it does not mean that they aren’t interested in you. People have lives, they have obligations, and they also require their own space from time to time. Talk about it. It’s just as simple as that. Voice your opinions and concerns; maybe, just maybe, their actions will change.