Final answer:
Nonverbal communication comprises body language like gestures and facial expressions, which play a significant role in interpersonal interactions. Darwin suggested that correctly interpreting these signals is important for survival by enhancing our response to social cues and potential threats.
Step-by-step explanation:
Nonverbal communication, often referred to as body language, is a crucial component of interacting with others and plays a significant role in making both first and subsequent impressions in various social contexts, including the workplace. This form of communication consists of gestures, facial expressions, posture, and other physical behaviors that convey a message without the use of spoken words. According to Charles Darwin, the ability to interpret nonverbal cues correctly enhances our survival because it allows us to perceive others' emotions, which can be essential in social interactions, particularly when it comes to responding to potential threats or forming beneficial relationships. For example, being able to recognize fear or aggression in someone's body language can alert us to danger, thus increasing our fitness, which Darwin defines as the ability to survive and produce offspring. Similarly, in animals, communication increases fitness by aiding in finding food, self-defense, mating, and caring for the young. Humans also rely on body language within cultural contexts to understand social norms, such as when to shake hands or how to express courtesy, further illustrating how nonverbal communication is intertwined with social survival and cohesion.