Unintended Ways to Offend
unintended ways to offend your foreign friends.
Before you communicate with people in different cultures, you need to understand the meaning of gestures. Those considered as a good gestures in one country may be termed as an offensive gesture in some countries. So, if you are a frequent flier to different countries, improve your communication skills by learning the meaning of hand gestures.
Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/hand-gestures-in-different-cultures.html
Interpretation of Hand Gestures
The following table will cover some of the common hand gestures with their meanings. You will be surprised to know that some gestures that you perform almost casually has a really different meaning in different cultures.
Thumbs Up Hand Sign
Thumbs Up
The thumbs up sign in most American and European cultures meaning things are going according to your plans or something you approve of. However, the going good sign translates into a rude and offensive gesture in Islamic and Asian countries. In Australia, it means OK, but if you move it up and down, it is considered as a grave insult.
Thumbs Down
The thumbs down sign obviously means the opposite of a thumbs up sign. It is an indication of something that is bad or something that you do not approve of. It also indicates that something or someone has failed. The thumbs down sign is not used as often as the thumbs up sign. This is a rude hand gesture and an arrogant way to indicate failure.
Thumbs Down Hand Sign
Fingers Crossed Hand Gesture
Fingers Crossed
Crossing of fingers is considered as a sign of wishing for good luck or fortune. It also may interpret that someone is hoping for something good to happen. The cross may have originated from the Pagan symbols that means to ward off evil. Many times people cross their fingers before telling a lie, as it is believed to countervail the evil that comes of the lie. It is a positive and negative symbol as it interprets both luck or lies.
Stop
Before you communicate with people in different cultures, you need to understand the meaning of gestures. Those considered as a good gestures in one country may be termed as an offensive gesture in some countries. So, if you are a frequent flier to different countries, improve your communication skills by learning the meaning of hand gestures.
Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/hand-gestures-in-different-cultures.html
Interpretation of Hand Gestures
The following table will cover some of the common hand gestures with their meanings. You will be surprised to know that some gestures that you perform almost casually has a really different meaning in different cultures.
Thumbs Up Hand Sign
Thumbs Up
The thumbs up sign in most American and European cultures meaning things are going according to your plans or something you approve of. However, the going good sign translates into a rude and offensive gesture in Islamic and Asian countries. In Australia, it means OK, but if you move it up and down, it is considered as a grave insult.
Thumbs Down
The thumbs down sign obviously means the opposite of a thumbs up sign. It is an indication of something that is bad or something that you do not approve of. It also indicates that something or someone has failed. The thumbs down sign is not used as often as the thumbs up sign. This is a rude hand gesture and an arrogant way to indicate failure.
Thumbs Down Hand Sign
Fingers Crossed Hand Gesture
Fingers Crossed
Crossing of fingers is considered as a sign of wishing for good luck or fortune. It also may interpret that someone is hoping for something good to happen. The cross may have originated from the Pagan symbols that means to ward off evil. Many times people cross their fingers before telling a lie, as it is believed to countervail the evil that comes of the lie. It is a positive and negative symbol as it interprets both luck or lies.
Stop