Psychologists claim that the "7-38-55 Rule" radically improves emotional intelligence.

We start from the premise that understanding or interpreting people isn't always as easy as reading a book. And what is the " 7-38-55 Rule"? This formula, the work of psychologist Albert Mehrabian , who devised it in 1967, posits that when conveying emotions , only 7% of the message is conveyed through words, while 38% is expressed through tone of voice and 55% through body language.

However, this principle only applies when there is a discrepancy between what is said and what is shown by voice or expression. Understanding this clarification is key to fine-tuning emotional intelligence: knowing how to identify when tone and posture contradict verbal content allows you to detect incongruent signals and prevent crucial information from being lost or misinterpreted.

If we ask a friend how they're feeling and they respond, "I'm fine," but despite their reassuring voice, we notice their tone of voice is downcast and even their posture appears to be slumped, we know there's more hidden information they're not telling us. But it's not easy to verify. And that's precisely what this trio of numbers tries to explain. Many misunderstandings at work, with family, or with friends are proof of this; the tone and gestures of individuals are key.

To arrive at this formula, Dr. Mehrabian analyzed in an experiment how people judged likability when words and expressions clashed head-on. In an experiment that combined voice recordings with images of incongruent faces, it was found that people tend to trust facial expressions and vocal tone more than the actual content of the words.

If you search the web for this famous principle, you'll come across numerous articles claiming that if you learn to properly decipher body language, voice nuances, and other nonverbal cues, you'll shine in job interviews or close high-level deals. But this isn't what the American psychologist and researcher meant.

Imagine the scene: someone is talking about their feelings, but their gaze and intonation tell a different story. Mehrabian focused precisely on these situations of emotional dissonance: he didn't study communication as a whole, but rather those moments when words don't match the face or tone of voice.

But it's not that 90% of communication is nonverbal, far from it . That's a myth. Words still play an important role in communication. Although it's true that if you simply read an email, or if someone tells you exactly what the email says, but out loud, looking you in the face with a smile and an open attitude, things can change a lot.

So what about percentages? They don't work for every occasion or situation. Simply put, this rule only applies when emotions are at stake. If the conversation isn't about feelings, these numbers aren't meaningful. It's emotional intelligence that only applies when someone says something that doesn't match how they say it, something we can all agree happens quite often. In short, the 7-38-55 rule is a simple reminder that how you say something is often as important as what you say. Or as they say: you have to read between the lines when talking about emotions.

We start from the premise that understanding or interpreting people isn't always as easy as reading a book. And what is the " 7-38-55 Rule"? This formula, the work of psychologist Albert Mehrabian , who devised it in 1967, posits that when conveying emotions , only 7% of the message is conveyed through words, while 38% is expressed through tone of voice and 55% through body language.