Primitive Attempts Of Communication And Their Evolution – What We Achieve By Applauding

When we applaud our favorite band that just performed on the stage in front of thousands of people, including us, we share some of their glare. The applause is our only chance to not only participate but also take credit. We can participate during a concert by whispering the song’s lyrics along with the singer and by dancing or even during a play in the theater when we focus all our attention on the play and its actors. However, we are not on the spot of the attention, and no one is concentrating on us. We are just the background that accompanies this whole concept. While we enjoy the performance, we get emotional and carried away by the atmosphere created at the moment. The performers have struggled hard to achieve that, and we could say that this was their main concern when they decided to expose themselves in front of a large audience. The more we are involved, the better job the performers have done.
Finally, we reach the moment when all this comes to an end. We do not want to go home, and we do not know what to do with all these emotions that have been brought to the surface. Clapping our hands is a primitive instinct to communicate. It is an action that produces sound, and that can pass a message when vision is impossible. For instance, if you were in a forest some thousands of years ago and wanted to warn your people of a threat that was coming, and these people were not close enough to see what was going on, your only choice would be to use sounds. One could either scream or clap their hands to be heard. At the end of a concert, you will see people screaming and applauding in an attempt to communicate.
People are not aware of what they want to communicate or how they even feel. This is why words will not help them at this point. Even if they knew what they would like to say, they would not be heard in this big crowd. The applause is also perfect for showing happiness, approval, and joy. It is not just a mechanical movement that people have decided to use to show respect. Tribes in wild forests and hostile jungles use it to dance and show their love for the external powers that they believe govern their world. Clapping is linked to spirituality and a feeling of strength and protection. We do feel stronger and united by producing an intense sound only using our two hands. The same feeling accompanies us when we applaud the band we love. We clap our hands as intensely as we can because we want the sound to reach the stage and let ourselves be heard as wide as we can.
Finally, the applause serves another purpose, which is less bright. As we pointed out in the beginning, clapping our hands is a way to participate. At the same time, it is a way to show our approval. Combining those two, the outcome that appears when we applaud the performance is that, in an indirect way, we manage to take some credit for what they have done. What we practically do is that we applaud ourselves for being present in a fabulous performance like the one we saw. By praising the participants who are on stage, we praise ourselves for being open enough to receive their energy and wise enough to understand their messages. Apart from the performance, we find a way to participate in the part where the credit will be given. This is why singers at the end of their performance say things like ”You are the best.” The fact that they praise the audience is something that the audience needs to feel. As the audience gives credit to the performers, they want to receive credit from them as well. The fact that they are emotional at the moment increases their need for support from others and communication with those who they held responsible for the wonderful feelings they have finally managed to experience.

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