Body Language Across Cultures: What Are We Missing When We Just Look?

Imagine the following scene:

You are in a work meeting with a team made up of people from different countries. One of the participants listens most of the time, barely expresses emotions outwardly, and nods occasionally. Another participant interrupts now and then, gestures enthusiastically with his hands, and laughs out loud.

Who appears to have control over the situation?

Who seems to hold "power"?

Who is perceived as cooperative?

The way we interpret body language is not universal. It depends on our cultural frame of interpretation. What seems to us like enthusiasm or authenticity may be perceived elsewhere as impolite or even out of control.

The sociologist Erving Goffman offers a theatrical framework for understanding social interactions: we are all "actors" on a "social stage", and everything we do – facial expressions, body movements, even silences – is part of the performance. But this performance is not the same across cultures. Each society builds its own code for what is considered "proper body language."

Goffman doesn’t suggest we memorize all the scripts in advance – on the contrary, he emphasizes the importance of observation. Only when we truly watch, without judgment, what people do (not just what they say), can we begin to grasp the unwritten rules that guide body language.

In other words: to understand cross-cultural body language, we must assume less and observe more. Interpret less, and notice more. What feels "natural" to us is actually something we were taught – and others were taught differently.

Share with us your intercultural experience, we would love to hear it!

Dr. Efrat Tzadik,

CBT Therapist | Trauma-Informed Care | Certified Professional Coach