57 Years Ago, a Legendary Psychologist Discovered the 7–38–55 Rule. It’s Still the Secret to Exceptional Emotional Intelligence
As someone whose whole job it is to write things that grab attention on the internet, I’m not surprised that the 7–38–55 rule has stuck around for 57 years. It’s incredibly catchy.
First described by University of California, Los Angeles, psychologist Albert Mehrabian back in 1967, it was later explained in detail in his book Silent Messages. The rule, as it’s usually cited, states that 7 percent of communication is conveyed by our words, 38 percent comes via our tone of voice, and 55 percent comes through body language.
How simple and compelling. No wonder it’s still cited by many communication pros to this day.
Only there’s one problem with this handy, memorable rule. As it’s usually understood, it’s simply not true. But don’t ditch it entirely. A correct understanding of the 7–38–55 rule can give an instant boost to your emotional intelligence and a leg up in all sorts of tricky but important everyday situations.
What most people misunderstand about the 7–38–55 rule
Google this classic rule, and you’ll find articles insisting that it can help you do better at job interviews and even business…
