Some nonverbal messages are not universal in different cultures. When displaying a nonverbal message to someone another than from you’re your culture, you have to make sure that you are not offending them or sending a different message to them. It can be hard to know what nonverbal messages mean in other cultures and it can get you in trouble some places. If you were to travel outside of the US, giving a thumbs up to people might be a bad idea. In the US thumbs up means good job or ok and it usually mean a good thing. In other cultures, giving a thumbs up is very insulting and it can be like giving the middle finger to someone in America. So one should avoid giving a thumbs up to someone outside of the US or even to a person of a different culture. Even giving handshakes can be misunderstood. In some cultures, it is wrong for a man to shake a woman’s hand at all. Also pointing with your index finger is different. If you point with your index finger it can be rude to Asian cultures. Smiling is also another one that seems harmless and just a sign of being happy or a hello or acknowledging a person, but it some cultures to much smiling is rude and in others it is used only when you are sorry about something. There are many other nonverbal messages that mean different things to different cultures. It is a good thing to know what nonverbal messages are accepted for different cultures, especially if you are traveling to a different country. You wouldn’t want to insult anyone.
Hello Roro, I agree with your post. We do need to be careful when we are using nonverbal messages because the worst thing that could happen will be someone getting insulted and then we could be in danger. I like the examples you gave about the thumps up and hand shake. Like you said, those are good ways of communicating between Americans but to other cultures can be insulting. In my post, I also talked about smiling and how smiling can be insulting and rude to others. I actually did not know this, until one of my professors from Finland told the class about her experience in coming to the United States and seeing people smiling. I smile a lot, so if I traveled outside the US it will be difficult to not smile because of not knowing the reaction I would get from strangers.
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