The Definitive Book of Body Language

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Cultural Differences

Greece: Up yours! (thrust forward)
Japan: Man; five

M.. Hawaii: 'Hang loose'
Holland: Do you want a drink?

N.. USA: I love you

O. The West: Ten; I surrender
Greece: Up Yours — twice!
Widespread: I'm telling the truth

What did you score?
Over 30 points: You are a well-travelled, well-rounded,
broad-thinking person who gets on well with everyone
regardless of where they are from. People love you.
15-30 points: You have a basic awareness that others behave
differently to you and, with dedicated practice, you can
improve the understanding you currently have.
15 points or less: You think everyone thinks like you do. You
should never be issued a passport or even be allowed out of
the house. You have little concept that the rest of the world is
different to you and you think that it's always the same time
and season all over the world. You are probably an American.

Why We're All Becoming American

Due to the wide distribution of American television and
movies, the younger generations of all cultures are developing
a generic form of North American body language. For
example, Australians in their sixties will identify the British
Two-Fingers-Up gesture as an insult whereas an Australian
teenager is more likely to read it as the number two and will
recognise the American Middle-Finger-Raised as a main form
insult. Most countries now recognise the Ring gesture as
meaning 'OK', even if it's not traditionally used locally. Young

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