There are some rude hand gestures native only to the country of their creation but they are so fantastically hilarious and offensive that they should definitely be shown to the world. In its new video 'Obscene Hand Gestures from Around the World,' Buzzfeed has attempted to expose these offensive hand signals to people who might want to add a little culture to their comebacks.
By patting the bottom of your elbow in Southern Italy, you're actually telling someone that they are as crazy as a pepper mill. A seemingly innocent thumbs-up in Iran is actually telling someone to bugger off (in less eloquent terms). Finally, don't ever touch your left index finger to your right hand in Mexico, since you're probably telling some poor sucker that his mom gets around.
Even if you don't travel, these rude hand gestures will make for some fun and stealthy insults.
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Cultural Miscommunications
- Opportunity to create cross-cultural training programs for individuals and organizations to avoid inappropriate or offensive hand gestures.
- Nonverbal Communication Awareness
- Opportunity to develop nonverbal communication education programs to increase awareness and avoid misunderstandings in global communication.
- Humor as a Communication Tool
- Opportunity to incorporate humor and sarcasm into cross-cultural communication training to reduce tensions and diffuse conflicts.
Sectors Adopting This
- Education
- Opportunity for schools and universities to develop cross-cultural communication curricula that include nonverbal communication and gesture awareness.
- Travel and Hospitality
- Opportunity to offer cross-cultural communication training to employees in the travel and hospitality industry to improve guest satisfaction and avoid cultural miscommunications.
- HR and Diversity Training
- Opportunity for HR departments and diversity trainers to incorporate cultural awareness and nonverbal communication into diversity training programs to foster inclusive and respectful workplaces.
