Eyes and eye contact

17 cards in this category — of which 16 complete, 1 drafts.

• Direct Eye Contact in JapanIn the West, direct eye contact signals attentiveness and honesty. In Japan, South Korea, and China, sustained gaze toward a superior is perceived as disrespectful or aggressive.
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Intense Eye Contact in Arab CulturesIn Arab cultures, direct and sustained eye contact between interlocutors signals sincerity, respect, and engagement. A Westerner who avoids gaze may be perceived as dishonest or uninterested.
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Le regard lowered/down mixte (islam pratiquant)A Muslim man who looks down at a foreign woman is respecting a religious norm. She may see it as contempt. Two readings of the same lowering: purity vs. contempt.
  CompleteCuriosity
• The Eye Roll: Contempt or CondescensionRolling the eyes upward expresses contempt, exasperation, or condescension in Western cultures. This gesture, absent or poorly codified in several East Asian cultures, can be interpreted as intentional insubordination by unfamiliar interlocutors.
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Croiser le regard dans la rue (USA / Europe du Sud)Fixer un inconnu dans la rue : à New York, cela passe pour un défi ; en Europe du Sud, un regard soutenu est mieux toléré. Le même regard, deux règles — la « civil inattention » anglo-américaine contre une plus grande tolérance méridionale.
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Fixer un bébé inconnu (Scandinavie vs Amérique latine)Admirer le bébé d'un inconnu — lui sourire, le toucher — est chaleureux et attendu en Amérique latine (simpatía, mauvais œil), mais peut sembler intrusif en Scandinavie, où la réserve vaut respect de la vie privée. À ne pas caricaturer en « chaud contre froid ».
  CompleteCuriosity
• Pointing (Malay/Indonesian)Malays and Indonesians point with their eyes. Finger outstretched = vulgar. Stranger sees nothing. Two codes, two worlds.
  CompleteCuriosity
• Close your eyes and listen (USA vs. non-Western cultures)Indian student closes eyes while listening to teacher: commitment. Same student in the USA: insult. Silent eyelids speak two languages.
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Averting Gaze Before an Elder (West Africa)Nigerian youth looks down before his father: respect. Same young man in the USA: suspicious. Silent gaze means two opposite things depending on culture.
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Gaze Aversion (Native North American Peoples)A young Navajo lowers his eyes before an elder: deep respect. Same gesture before an American judge: suspicion of guilt. One gesture, two opposite readings.
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Raising the eyebrow to say no (Italian vs. Northern European)Italian raises eyebrow loudly: "No". Swedish: "Pardon? One millimeter of muscle expresses two realities.
  CompleteCuriosity
• Lowering the Gaze Before Elders (Korea)A young Korean lowers their eyes before their mother: filial respect. Same gesture before an American superior: suspicion of guilt. One gesture, two opposite readings.
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Longing/flirtation (Arab vs. Western)Languorous Arab gaze: courteous flirtation. Same Western gaze: aggression/objectification. Desire speaks two languages.
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Read the Indonesian smile (joy vs discomfort)Indonesian employee smiles: does she accept? Is she happy? Uncomfortable? The smile hides as much as it reveals.
  CompleteCuriosity
• Raising the head with eyebrows to say no (Turkish/Balkan)Turk raises eyebrow: "No". English: "Did you hear me? A millimeter of muscle expresses two realities.
  CompleteCuriosity
• Baisser les yeux devant l'autorité (respeto, Amérique latine)Devant une figure d'autorité, baisser les yeux est une marque de respect (respeto) en Amérique latine et chez les Latinos des États-Unis — mais l'observateur anglophone, qui attend un regard direct, y lit de l'évasion ou de la malhonnêteté. (À ne pas confondre : l'Espagne est, elle, une culture à fort contact visuel.)
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Le clin d'œil de séduction (Asie de l'Est)Un clin d'œil dans un bureau tokyoïte : inconvenance certifiée.
  DraftMisunderstanding