The Definitive Book of Body LanguageUniversal Gestures
The Shoulder Shrug is also a good example of a universal
gesture that is used to show that a person doesn't know or
doesn't understand what you are saying. It's a multiple gesture
that has three main parts: exposed palms to show nothing is
being concealed in the hands, hunched shoulders to protect the
throat from attack and raised brow which is a universal, sub-
missive greeting.The Shoulder Shrug shows submissionJust as verbal language differs from culture to culture, so some
body language signals can also differ. Whereas one gesture
may be common in a particular culture and have a clear inter-
pretation, it may be meaningless in another culture or even
have a completely different meaning. Cultural differences will
be covered later, in Chapter 5.
Three Rules for Accurate Reading
What you see and hear in any situation does not necessarily
reflect the real attitudes people may actually have. You need to
follow three basic rules to get things right.