Laughter ..............................................................................................
When a person laughs in the Western world, you’re safe in assuming that they’re
happy. If you hear the same laughter – with a slightly different accent – in
Japan, don’t think that everything’s fine. Japanese laugh as a means of con-
trolling their displeasure. Laughter also conceals embarrassment, confusion,
and shock, and isn’t only a gesture used for mirth.Cultures have personalities, like people. Some are open, outgoing, and extro-
vert. Others are less expressive, and their gestures are fewer, closer to the
body and generally more restrained. Sit in a restaurant in Rome and watch the
people laughing, interrupting one another, and touching a lot. Take yourself to
Stockholm and experience the difference. People are quiet, more contained in
their gestures, and demonstrate less emotion. Both groups are equally
friendly and caring; they express their feelings and good will quite differently.Laughter is associated with humour. Have you ever watched the same film in
two different countries with different national audiences? I remember watch-
ing the film Four Weddings and a Funeralboth in Britain and in America. The
two audiences laughed at different places.Figure 15-2:
Be careful
where you
choose to
use the okay
sign.252 Part IV: Putting the Body into Social and Business Context