SMART OR CRAZY? HOW ONE GESTURE CHANGES MEANING AROUND THE WORLD
Abstract
This paper exposes how even one gesture, which is the tapping of head, can convey two different meanings in different cultures. The message that is usually delivered by this movement in Western Europe is one of intelligence, cleverness, or a call to think twice. But in Eastern Europe and Latin America, the same gesture connotes the fact that one is irrational or crazy. By comparing these opposing interpretations, the article shows how nonverbal communication is extremely culturally dependent, particularly in terms of mental health and rationality. It is stressed in the discussion that despite the apparent universality, gestures develop separately in diverse societies and are conditioned by their history, values, and social attitudes. This paper has highlighted the significance of cultural awareness in global communication by examining the various meanings made by the temple-tapping gesture. Knowledge of how even the small gestures can have unintended messages can make people more sensitive, respectful, and understanding when interacting with the cross-cultural (sensitive) individuals.
References
1. Matsumoto, D., & Hwang, H. S. (2013). Nonverbal Communication: Science and Applications. Sage Publications.
2. Pease, A., & Pease, B. (2006). The Definitive Book of Body Language. Bantam Books.
3. Morris, D. (2011). Peoplewatching: The Desmond Morris Guide to Body Language. Vintage.
4. Axtell, R. E. (1998). Gestures: The Do’s and Taboos of Body Language Around the World. John Wiley & Sons.
5. Samovar, L. A., Porter, R. E., & McDaniel, E. R. (2010). Communication Between Cultures (7th ed.). Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
6. Knapp, M. L., Hall, J. A., & Horgan, T. G. (2014). Nonverbal Communication in Human Interaction (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.
7. Poyatos, F. (2002). Nonverbal Communication Across Disciplines, Volume 2: Paralanguage, Kinesics, Silence, Personal and Environmental Interaction. John Benjamins Publishing.
8. Kendon, A. (2004). Gesture: Visible Action as Utterance. Cambridge University Press.
9. Hall, E. T. (1976). Beyond Culture. Anchor Books.
10. Argyle, M. (1988). Bodily Communication (2nd ed.). Methuen.
11. Axtell, R. E. (1998). Gestures: The Do’s and Taboos of Body Language Around the World. John Wiley & Sons.
12. Burgoon, J. K., Guerrero, L. K., & Floyd, K. (2016). Nonverbal Communication (2nd ed.). Routledge.
13. Givens, D. B. (2016). The Nonverbal Dictionary of Gestures, Signs & Body Language Cues. Center for Nonverbal Studies Press.
14. Bruce-Mitford, M. (2019). Signs & symbols: An illustrated guide to their origins and meanings. Dorling Kindersley Ltd.
15. Krampen, M. (1965). Signs and symbols in graphic communication. Design Quarterly, (62), 1-31.
16. Muxtarovna, S. N. (2017). Independent learning. Евразийский научный журнал, (4), 374-375.
17. Muxtarovna, S. N., & Andreyevna, A. A. (2025). EUPHEMISMS IN POLITICAL DISCOURSE: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE AMERICAN AND RUSSIAN CONTEXTS. Ilm fan taraqqiyotida raqamli iqtisodiyot va zamonaviy ta'limning o'rni hamda rivojlanish omillari, 5(1), 150-154.
18. Shamuratova N. Comparative study of English and Uzbek proverbs (usage of body) [Electronic resource] // Philology Matters. — 2021. — Mode of access: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/comparative-study-of-english-and-uzbek-proverbs-usage-of-body (accessed: 24.10.2025).
19. Shamuratova, N. S., Bobojanov, A. O., Nurullayev, S. X., & Ruzmetova, D. A. (2024). BIOLOGICAL AND NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF SORGHUM BY AMINO ACID COMPOSITION IN CERTAIN DISEASES. Web of Medicine: Journal of Medicine, Practice and Nursing, 2(5), 107-112.
