The Definitive Book of Body Language - Barbara Pease [39]
If a Saudi man holds another man's hand in
public it's a sign of mutual respect. But don't
do it in Australia, Texas, or Liverpool, England
Greeting Differences
Handshaking differences can make for some embarrassing and humorous cultural encounters. British, Australian, New Zealander, German, and American colleagues will usually shake hands on meeting, and again on departure. Most European cultures will shake hands with each other several times a day, and some French have been noted to shake hands for up to thirty minutes a day. Indian, Asian, and Arabic cultures may continue to hold your hand when the handshake has ended. Germans and French give one or two firm pumps followed by a short hold, whereas Brits give three to five pumps compared with an American's five to seven pumps. This is hilarious to observe at international conferences where a range of different handshake pumping takes place between surprised delegates. To the Americans, the Germans, with their single pump, seem distant. To the Germans, however, the Americans pump hands as if they are blowing up an airbed.
When it comes to greeting with a cheek kiss, the Scandinavians are happy with a single kiss, the French mostly prefer a double, while the Dutch, Belgians, and Arabs go for a triple kiss. The Australians, New Zealanders, and Americans are continually confused about greeting kisses and bump noses as they fumble their way through a single peck. The Brits either avoid kissing by standing back or will surprise you with a European double kiss. In his book A View from the Summit, Sir Edmund Hillary recounts that on reaching the peak of Everest, he faced Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and offered a proper, British, congratulatory handshake. But Norgay leaped forward and hugged and kissed him—the proper congratulations of Tibetans.
When One Culture Encounters Another
When Italians talk they keep their hands held high as a way of holding the floor in a conversation. What seems like affectionate arm-touching during an Italian conversation is nothing more than a way of stopping the listener from raising his hands and taking the floor. To interrupt an Italian, you must grab his hands in midair and hold them down. As a comparison, the Germans and British look as if they are physically paralyzed when they talk. They are daunted when trying to converse with Italians and French and rarely get an opportunity to speak. French use their forearms and hands when they talk, Italians use their entire arms and body, while the Brits and Germans stand at attention.
When it comes to doing international business, smart attire, excellent references, and a good proposal can all become instantly unstuck by the smallest, most innocent gesture sinking the whole deal. Our research in forty-two countries shows North Americans to be the least culturally sensitive people, with the British coming in a close second. Considering that 86 percent of North Americans don't have a passport, it follows that they would be the most ignorant of international body-language customs. Even George W. Bush had to apply for a passport after becoming President of the United States, so he could travel overseas. The Brits, however, do travel extensively but prefer everyone else to use British body signals, speak English, and serve fish and chips. Most foreign cultures do not expect you to learn their language, but are extremely impressed by the traveler who has taken the time to learn and use local body-language customs. This tells them that you respect their culture.
The English Stiff-Upper-Lip
This gesture relates to pursing the lips to control the face so that facial expressions