
A popular maxim among communication professionals is that people “cannot NOT communicate.”
This adage refers to the idea that others interacting with you will draw meaning from everything you say and do, whether you want them to or not. All behavior is a form of communication, even when you are silent or not actively trying to convey a message. This is an important idea because it suggests that people should be more conscious about how others are interpreting them since they might want to influence those evaluations. Of the many possible readings people make of your behavior, three stand out for their importance: task, identity, and relationship.