Re: Insult (jara: Weekly Vocab 8)

Andreas Johansson wrote:

> Quoting Stone Gordonssen <stonegordonssen@...>:
>
> > It is my understanding facial expression and body language are
> > cultural-centric.
>
> So there'd be cultures where a smile would be considered hostile etc?
>
> I've read in a great number of places that things like smiles and frowns
are
> common to all humans, but I don't know how reliable those sources are.
>
Smiling per se may not be hostile, but there are cultures where it is rude
to grin or laugh so broadly that the teeth show.  In much of the Far East,
giggling is most often a sign of embarrassment, not amusement (and you cover
your mouth). The Western gesture for OK, Fine (make a circle with thumb and
index or third finger) is a vulgarism in Indonesia.