Showingourfeelings尽管存在文化上的诸多差异，人类的许多身体语言在表达情感方面却是相通的。Bodylanguageisoneofthemostpowerfulmeansofcommunication,oftenevenmorepowerfulthanspokenlanguage.Peoplearoundtheworldshowallkindsoffeelings,wishesandattitudesthattheymightneverspeakaloud.Itispossibleto“read”othersaroundus,eveniftheydonotintendforustocatchtheirunspokencommunication.Ofcourse,bodylanguagescanbemisread,butmanygesturesandactionsareuniversal.Themostuniversalfacialexpressionis,ofcourse,thesmile—itsfunctionistoshowhappinessandputpeopleatease.Itdoesnotalwaysmeanthatwearetrulyhappy,however.Smilesaroundtheworldcanbefalse,hidingotherfeelingslikeanger,fearorworry.Thereareunhappysmiles,suchaswhensomeone“losesface”andsmilestohideit.However,thegeneralpurposeofsmilingistoshowgoodfeelings.Fromthetimewearebabies,weshowunhappinessorangerbyfrowning.Inmostplacesaroundtheworld,frowningandturningone’sbacktosomeoneshowsanger.Makingafistandshakingitalmostalwaysmeansthatsomeoneisangryandthreateninganotherperson.Therearemanywaysaroundtheworldtoshowagreement,butnoddingtheheadupanddownisusedforagreementalmostworldwide.Mostpeoplealsounderstandthatshakingtheheadfromsidetosidemeansdisagreementorrefusal.HowaboutshowingthatIambored?Lookingawayfrompeopleoryawningwill,inmostcases,makemeappeartobeuninterested.However,ifIturntowardandlookatsomeoneorsomething,peoplefromalmosteveryculturewillthinkthatIaminterested.IfIrollmyeyesandturnmyheadaway,ImostlikelydonotbelievewhatIamhearingordonotlikeit.Beingrespectfultopeopleissubjective(主观的),basedoneachculture,butingeneralitisprobablynotagoodideatogiveahugtoabossorteacher.Inalmosteveryculture,itisnotusuallygoodtostandtooclosetosomeoneofahigherrank.StandingatalittledistancewithopenhandswillshowthatIamwillingtolisten.Withsomanyculturaldifferencesbetweenpeople,itisgreattohavesomesimilaritiesinbodylanguage.Wecanoftenbewrongabouteachother,soitisanamazingthingthatweunderstandeachotheraswellaswedo!
