The Gesture Heard 'Round the World

As a culture, Americans tend to be physically expressive. For example, we give our “thumbs up” to signal approval, or the “OK” sign when we agree with something.

However, as we do business internationally, we need to consider how those gestures translate to our audiences, as some gestures mean radically different things to different cultures. For example, did you know that the “thumbs up” gesture is obscene in Iran? Or that the OK sign signals quite the opposite in Brazil? Or that pulling down on one eye in France tells the person that you don’t believe them?

While most people will likely understand that you did not mean to offend them, try to limit your physical gestures to avoid miscommunication.

More examples:

• In Asia, squinting and sucking air through your teeth shows disagreement.
• In Chile, slapping your right fist into your left palm is obscene, and an open palm with the fingers separated means “stupid.”
• In Islamic countries, it’s insulting to show the soles of your feet.
• In Japan, tapping one’s finger repeatedly on the table signifies agreement or support of a speaker’s statement.

While it’s impossible to learn the idiosyncrasies of every culture, some basic knowledge will help you go a long way to building good working relationships.

Sources:
Culture Connect
Exploring Nonverbal Communication
International Society for Gesture Studies
Rick Steves’ Europe