Powerschool GoGuardian Naviance Aimsweb Semstracker EdReflect SchoolDude Virtual Paragon Frontline Alio Service Portal

Keeping Your Hand Gestures to Yourself

DSC_0114

DSC_0115

DSC_0111

DSC_0122It’s one of those mornings.
You woke up late, your hair is a mess, your breakfast burned and there was no time for coffee. And now your stuck in traffic. As the clock ticks, reminding you every second how late you are, your mood gets worse and worse.
As you inch your way down the highway, you notice that the car behind you is too close for comfort. After five minutes of fear of getting rear ended, you lose your temper and flash the driver the middle finger. And somehow it makes you feel a little better.
Hand gestures, like the middle finger, are simple forms of communication. They allow people to express a mood or opinion without saying a word. However, unlike words, hand gestures do not have universal meanings.
Take the “ok” hand gesture, made by touching your pointer finger to your thumb to form a circle and then holding your other three fingers up. In America, this gesture is used to signify that something is “good” “okay” or “all set.” But if you were to make this gesture in a Latin American country or in France, it would be seen as rude or insulting.
The peace sign is another common gesture used in America. It became popular in the 1960’s, around the time of the Vietnam War, as an anti-war protest. Today it still used to symbolize peace. Among teenagers, it can also be used as a way to say hello or goodbye to a friend (“peace dog”). But do not flash the peace sign in Italy, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand. It’s considered an insult.
If you’re at a rock concert or a Texas Longhorns Football game it wouldn’t be uncommon to see people holding up their thumb, pointer and pinky finger. The “hook ’em horns” or “rock on” symbol, if you will. In America its used as a way to show support. However in many cultures, it represents the word “cuckolded,” meaning a way of saying that someone’s wife is cheating on them. In 2005, when President George was inaugurated he made this gesture as a “shout out” to his home state of Texas. However, international reports were appalled that Bush made this gesture at his inauguration and it caused controversy all over the world.
Remember when you were younger, when your mother got really mad at you, she would curl her pointer finger as a way of saying “come here, now.” Well in many countries, including China and Japan, this is seen as a way of calling a dog. It’s extremely offensive in many countries. In the Philippines, making this gesture could get you arrested.
Sometimes a hand gesture expresses exactly what we need to say without having to used words. Depending on where you are in the world though, gestures have different meanings
However, flashing the middle finger pretty much has the same meaning anywhere you go. So no fear, the driver in the car behind you got the message.