To demonstrate the concept of nonverbal cues complementing verbal communication, I chose this photograph of Kendrick Lamar’s acceptance of the Pulitzer Prize for Music from 2018. More specifically, I utilize this image to note how Lamar’s nonverbal cues, expressed through his facial expression, direct eye contact, and handshake, complements his verbally communicated acceptance remark. In this photograph, Kendrick Lamar grins widely and maintains direct eye contact when accepting his award from Columbia University President Lee Bollinger, who reciprocates Lamar’s smile and eye contact while embracing Lamar with a two-handed handshake.

Importantly, nonverbal cues which compliment verbal communication mean that nonverbal cues interpreted in isolation from their corresponding verbal message will render the nonverbal interpretation more ambiguous. In this image, Kendrick Lamar’s nonverbal cues do not clearly or independently communicate that Lamar is accepting an award; in fact, his verbal acceptance remark complements the photographed nonverbal cues to communicate his acceptance of the award.

I clearly remember that during the moment I accepted the award and posed for a photo with my award and the person who awarded me, I felt uncomfortably self-aware of how I was holding my smile, my eye-line, and my right hand. After reflecting on this image and its relation to discussion of nonverbal cues complementing verbal communication, I can better understand that when nonverbal cues supplement a verbal acceptance, the cues inherently do not tell the complete message, so fretting over whether I can communicate gratitude, glee, or pride completely through isolated nonverbal cues is sort of a losing battle.

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