Would you trade the ability to read body language, etc. for fluency in 20 languages?

Question

Would you trade the ability to read body language, etc. for fluency in 20 languages?

Answer 1

no

Answer 2

Yes, as long as I could pick the 20.

there is no body language in text.

Answer 3

no, its best to know people's true intentions than to know what they mean with "arigatou"

Answer 4

Nope, in my job I have dealt with thousands of people tens of different countries, speaking probably 15 languages.

Body language has saved my as$ in every dangerous situation I've been in with them, and has been the basis of communication between myself and so many people who I didn't verbally understand.

Answer 5

No! Body language is the most valuable language we learn. It tells more than any message that is issued verbally. If we really want to hear the message, we must be aware of the nuances of behavior that we observe in the speaker not the vocalizations issued.

Answer 6

In a heartbeat... with the money you can make as a translator of 20 languages..you could hire someone to read body language for you!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 7

Yes, body language is not an exact science, but to know 20 languages is exact.  May I pick my languages?  Oh, I see by your body language you don't mean it!

Answer 8

no bcus you can get more from body language in any place. plus if u cant read body language and even though u know how to speak, u wont know whats going on if the person isnt speaking and u cant even read body language.

Answer 9

Never, never, never.

I think that if you lost your ability to read body language

you might find out you were turned into an emotional cripple.

It is a part of us that is hard wired into our brains.

In a computer analogy it is part of the Operating System.

You  know the message you get if you try to delete part of that.

Removing this may cause certain programs to stop working properly

            Are you sure you wish to continue ?.

                              Yes / No

Are you brave enough to press Yes regardless ?.

Well I'm not   I press no and leave it alone.

This smells suspiciously like a same dilemma.

Answer 10

this actually got me to stop and think.. i'd almost say the two options are equal,

but in the end im going to have to stick with reading body language, just because, unless i did it professionally, i dont have any real use for 20 languages where i live.

Answer 11

Why speak 20 different languages when body language is the same in any country.

Answer 12

Absolutely.

Knowing body language may help on a personal level, but 20 languages would mean you could communicate with about 95% of the world's population, depending on the languages. Working in a hospital as I do, it would be very useful when dealing with migrants. Altruistic? Maybe.