Body Language

Throughout the globe various body gestures carry different meanings and using one from one part of the globe could mean something a whole lot different at a different point in the world. I have never traveled outside of the United States to experience the various hand gestures but it is something we learned about in International Relations. Our textbook used an example of creating a circle with your thumb and index finger means "okay" in the United States, however in Germany it is a very rude gesture. There are a couple other similar situations, such as, tapping on your nose in England means "You and I are in on the secret," whereas in Wales it means "You are very nosy." So a simple gesture can really go a long way. One that I found really funny was tapping ones temple means "You're crazy" in Western Europe, and in Netherlands it means "You're very clever." Another thing to take into account with gestures and meanings within other countries is personal space. When meeting someone in or from a different country be sure not to approach them very close because not only could you invade their personal space but you may come off rather aggressive towards them.