Communication has always been a vital part of our lives and is important in the daily interactions we participate in with friends, family and those close to us. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, “communication is the exchange of meaning between individuals through a common system of symbols.” Communication varies between two types, one is verbal communication and the other is non-verbal communication. Amy Lucas highlights in her article the fact that our ancestors hunted and gathered as a collective, depending on each other for protection, sustenance, and companionship. Our success as a species and as individuals depends on our ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and nonverbally. Verbal and nonverbal communication shape our interactions with others in business and interpersonal relationships, as well as our financial and personal success, and our physical and psychological well-being. (2014) Verbal communication refers to the exchange of ideas, thoughts, feelings and/or messages through the use of the mouth. Nonverbal communication refers to sending and receiving messages without words. This type of communication occurs through gestures, facial expressions, eye contact or symbols. Nonverbal communication has many functions, such as contradicting, replacing, regulating and/or reinforcing a verbal message to improve the verbal communication that occurs between two individuals. Couples today rely less and less on nonverbal communication as a mediator of problems, and interpersonal communication does not only involve the explicit meaning of the words, information, or message conveyed, but also refers to implicit, intentional or unintentional, messages expressed. ... .. middle of paper ...... value nonverbal communication less and expect your partner to understand what is said without saying it. After reading various studies, nonverbal communication is vital to having a healthy, long and strong relationship. We also noticed that couples who have been together longer and are satisfied with their relationship are better at reading and encoding their partners' nonverbal messages. Not all communication is the same, as it varies across different relationships, contexts and cultures, but it mostly represents the same ideas. Nonverbal might be considered integral to a relationship thriving, but relationships might also fail due to other factors not limited to communication. Nonverbal communication may seem very useful as a means of communication, but it can also be harmful as it may be unregulated and unconscious.