Allan_and_Barbara_Pease_-_Body_Language_The_Definitive_Book

A BC DG HI L MNFor each correct answer you got, alloca A. Europe and North America: OK Mediterranean region, Russia, Brazi An orifice signal; sexual insult; gay m Tunisia, France, Belgium: Zero; wor Japan: Money; coins B.Western countries: One; Excuse m witness; No! (to children) C. Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Ma USA: Two Germany: Victory France: Peace Ancient Rome: Julius Caesar orderin

Cultural DifferencesEFJK Oate yourself one point.il, Turkey: manrthlessme!; As God is myalta: Up yours!ng five beers 109

The Definitive Book of Body D. Europe: Three Catholic countries: A E. Europe: Two Britain, Australia, New USA: Waiter! Japan: An insult F. Western countries: Fo Japan: An insult G. Western countries: N Everywhere: Stop! Greece and Turkey: G H.Mediterranean: Small Bali: Bad Japan: Woman South America: Thin France: You can't fool I. Mediterranean: Your w Malta and Italy: Prot pointed) South America: Protec USA: Texas Universit Team J. Greece Go to Hell! The West: Two K.Ancient Rome: Up you USA: Sit on this! Screw L.Europe: One Australia: Sit on this! Widespread: Hitchhike110

Language blessing w Zealand: OneourNumber 5 Go to hell! l penis l me! wife is being unfaithful tection against the Evil Eye (when ction against bad luck (when rotated) ty Logo, Texas Longhorn Football urs! w you! (upward jerk) e; Good; OK

Greece: Up yours! (thrust forward) Japan: Man; five M.. Hawaii: 'Hang loose' Holland: Do you want a drink? N.. USA: I love you O. The West: Ten; I surrender Greece: Up Yours — twice! Widespread: I'm telling the truth What did you score? Over 30 points: You are a well-trav broad-thinking person who gets on regardless of where they are from. Peop 15-30 points: You have a basic awarene differently to you and, with dedicate improve the understanding you currentl 15 points or less: You think everyone th should never be issued a passport or ev the house. You have little concept that t different to you and you think that it's and season all over the world. You are pWhy We're All Becoming AmerDue to the wide distribution of Ammovies, the younger generations of all ca generic form of North Americanexample, Australians in their sixties w Two-Fingers-Up gesture as an insult wteenager is more likely to read it as therecognisethe American Middle-Finger- insult. Most countries now recognismeaning 'OK', even if it's not traditiona

Cultural Differences velled, well-rounded, well with everyoneple love you. ess that others behaveed practice, you canly have.hinks like you do. Youven be allowed out ofthe rest of the world is always the same timeprobably an American. ricanmerican television and cultures are developing body language. Forwill identify the British whereas an Australiane number two and will-Raised as a main form se the Ring gesture asally used locally. Young 111

The Definitive Book of Bodychildren in every countrycaps backwards and shoudon't understand Spanish American televisio body language dThe word 'toilet' is alsolanguage because Northand log splitters, are terrask for the 'bathroom', wtains a bath. Or they askwhere there are lounge sroom' contains a mirror afound in a kindergartenon the motorways of Euasks to 'wash up' is likegiven a tea towel and invCultural Basics areEverywhereAs discussed in Chapter 3ter the same meaningsEkman of the Universityphotographs of the emsadness, disgust and surpand found that in everyagreed about the picturesdisgust. There was agreem21 countries for the surpr21 agreed and for anger, 1cant cultural difference wthe fear photograph as su Ekman also went to N112

y Language that has television now wear baseball ut 'Hasta la vista, baby', even if the h. on is the prime reason cultural differences are disappearing. slowly disappearing from the English Americans, who are rugged pioneersrified to say it. North Americans willwhich, in many parts of Europe, con- k for a 'rest room' and are taken toseats to relax. In England, a 'powder and washbasin, a 'little girls' room' is and 'comfort stations' are positioned urope. And a North American whoely to be gleefully led to the kitchen,vited to wash the dishes. the Same Almost 3, facial expressions and smiles regis- to people almost everywhere. Paul of California, San Francisco, showedmotions of happiness, anger, fear,prise to people in 21 different cultures case, the majority in each countrys that showed happiness, sadness and ment by the majority in 20 out of therise expressions, for fear on 19 out of 18 out of 21 agreed. The only signifi-was with the Japanese who described urprise.New Guinea to study the South Fore

culture and the Dani people of West Irilated from the rest of the world. He recthe exception being that, like the Ja could not distinguish fear from surpris He filmed these stone-age peopleexpressions and then showed them torectly identified them all, proving that tand facial expressions are universal. The fact that expressions are inbordemonstrated by Dr Linda Camras froChicago. She measured Japanese and Aresponses using the Facial Action CoRosenstein, 1991). This system allowedseparate and catalogue infant facialfound that both Japanese and Amerexactly the same emotional expressions So far in this book we have concentthat is generally common to most pabiggest cultural differences exist mainlyspace, eye contact, touch frequency anregions that have the greatest number oare Arab countries, parts of Asia and Japtural differences is too big a subject to beso we'll stick to the basic things that you If a Saudi man holds another m public it's a sign of mutual respe do it in Australia, Texas or Liverp

Cultural Differences ian who had been iso- corded the same results, apanese, these culturesse. enacting these same o Americans who cor- the meanings of smiling rn in humans was alsoom DePaul University in American infants' facialoding System (Oster & d researchers to record, expressions and they rican infants displayed s. rated on body language arts of the world. The in relation to territorial nd insult gestures. The of different local signals pan. Understanding cul- e covered in one chapteru are likely to see abroad.man's hand in ect. But don't pool, England

The Definitive Book of Body LGreeting DifferencesHandshaking differences cahumorous cultural encoZealander, German andshake hands on meeting, apean cultures will shake haday, and some French have30 minutes a day. Indian, Atinue to hold your handGermans and French give oa short hold, whereas Britswith an American's five toobserve at international cohandshake pumping takesTo the Americans, the Gerdistant. To the Germans has if they are blowing up a When it comes to greetivians are happy with a sindouble, while the Dutch,kiss. The Australians, Necontinually confused aboutthey fumble their way throavoid kissing by standingEuropean double kiss. In hSir Edmund Hillary recouEverest, he faced Sherpa TeBritish, congratulatoryforward and hugged and ktions of Tibetans.When One CultureWhen Italians talk they keeholding the floor in a conv114

Languages an make for some embarrassing andounters. British, Australian, New American colleagues will usuallyand again on departure. Most Euro- ands with each other several times a been noted to shake hands for up to Asian and Arabic cultures may con-d when the handshake has ended. one or two firm pumps followed by s give three to five pumps comparedo seven pumps. This is hilarious toonferences where a range of differents place between surprised delegates.rmans, with their single pump, seemhowever, the Americans pump handsan airbed.ing with a cheek kiss, the Scandina-ngle kiss, the French mostly prefer a Belgians and Arabs go for a tripleew Zealanders and Americans are t greeting kisses and bump noses asough a single peck. The Brits eitherg back or will surprise you with a his book A View from the Summit,unts that on reaching the peak of enzing Norgay and offered a proper, handshake. But Norgay leapedkissed him - the proper congratula- Encounters Anotherep their hands held high as a way ofversation. What seems like affection-

arm touching during an Italian co more than a way of stopping the lishands and taking the floor. To interrupgrab his hands in mid air and hold themson the Germans and British look asparalysed when they talk. They are daconverse with Italians and French and rnity to speak. French use their forearmstalk, Italians use their entire arms andand Germans stand at attention. When it comes to doing internationalexcellent references and a good propinstantly unstuck by the smallest, msinking the whole deal. Our research iNorth Americans to be the least cultuwith the British coming in a close sec86% of North Americans don't have a pthey would be the most ignorant of inguage customs. Even George W Bushpassport after becoming President of thcould travel overseas. The Brits, howevebut prefer everyone else to use BritishEnglish and serve fish and chips. Most fexpect you to learn their language but arby the traveller who has taken the timebody language customs. This tells themculture.The English Stiff-Upper-Lip his gesture relates to pursing the lipsthat facial expressions are reduced andPossible is shown. This way the Englishsion of being in complete emotional c Philip, Charles, Harry and William waof Diana in 1997, they each held the S

Cultural Differencesonversation is nothing stener from raising his pt an Italian you mustm down. As a compari- if they are physically aunted when trying to rarely get an opportu- s and hands when theyd body, while the Brits business, smart attire,posal can all becomemost innocent gesture in 42 countries shows urally sensitive peoplecond. Considering thatpassport, it follows that nternational body lan- h had to apply for ahe United States so heer, do travel extensively h body signals, speak foreign cultures do not re extremely impressed to learn and use localm that you respect their to control the face so d as little emotion as h can give the impres- control. When Princes alked behind the coffinStiff-Upper-Lip expres- 115

The Definitive Book of Bodysion, which, to many in tunemotional about Diana Henry VIII was famoussion. He had a small molip for a portrait it lookesmall mouth being a supthe sixteenth century. Thused today by English pintimidated by inferior pepanied by extended eye b Henry VIII popularised th of his small mouth andThe JapaneseOne area where handshabecome established is Japsidered impolite. Japanesperson with the highestwith the least status bowness cards are exchangestatus and appropriate bo

y Language the non-British world, came across a a's death. s for pulling the Lips-Pursed expres-outh and when he stiffened his upper ed even smaller. This habit led to aperiority signal among the English of he Lips-Pursed is an expression stillpeople when they feel they are being eople and this gesture is often accom-blinks. his gesture as a high-status signal because modern Brits and Americans still use it akes, kissing and bear hugs have notpan, where such bodily contact is con- se people bow on first meeting, the status bowing the least and the onewing the most. On first meeting, busi- ed, each person assesses the others owing follows.

In Japan, make sure your shoes are sp goodcondition.EverytimeaJapaneseThe Japanese way of listening to someoof smiley nods and polite noises, whichlent in other languages. The idea is toon talking but this is often misinterpreEuropeans as agreement. The Head Nosal sign for 'yes', except for the Bulgariato signify 'no', and the Japanese whoyou say something a Japanese doesn't a'yes' - or Hai in Japanese - to keep yo'yes' usually means, 'yes, I heard you' anexample, if you say to a Japanese persoyou?' he will nod his head and say 'yenot agree. In the Japanese context, icorrect - I don't agree.' The Japanese are concerned with savioped a set of rules to prevent thingsavoid saying no or asking questions whno. The closest a Japanese will get to sais very difficult,' or 'We will give this poreally mean, 'Let's forget the whole thin'You Dirty, Disgusting Pig!' - NEuropeans and Westerners blow their noor tissue while Asians and Japaneseappalled by what they see as the other'sThis dramatic cultural difference is thspead of tuberculosis in past centuries. was the AIDS of the era - a disease fro hope of survival so governments instrucnose to avoid further spreading the dise erners react so strongly to spitting - a

Cultural Differences potlessly clean and inebows,heinspectsthem.one involves a repertoire h have no direct equiva- encourage you to keep eted by Westerners and od is an almost univer- ans who use the gesture use it for politeness. Ifagree with, he'll still say ou talking. A Japanese nd not 'yes, I agree'. For on 'you don't agree, does' even though he may it means 'Yes, you are ing face and have devel- going wrong so try tohen the answer might be aying the word no is, 'It ositive study' when they ng and go home.'Nose Blowingoses into a handkerchief spit or snort. Each iss 'disgusting' behaviour. he direct result of the In Europe, tuberculosisom which there was little cted people to blow theirease. This is why West- a spitting person could 117

The Definitive Book of Bodyspread tuberculosis arounprospect as they would be Modern nos post epiIf tuberculosis had been atural reaction would be ththe Japanese are appalledchief, blows their nose inpurse or up their sleeve! Jcustom of men wearingpocket. This is the equivapaper from the pocket, reathat it is a healthier optiosive to Westerners and Eubetween Westerners and Ea cold. So don't feel upsenever blow your nose in fThe Three Most CoGesturesLet's examine the culturathree common hand gestV-sign.1.The RingThis gesture was popularteenth century by the newusing initials to shorten cferent views about whatsome believing it stoodmisspelled as 'oil korrectopposite of 'knock-out' t118