The Typical Visual Cue In America That Often Means Something Totally Different Abroad

Picture this: You're sitting next to your team at a work meeting, maintaining steady eye contact with the person who is speaking to show them you're engaged and respectful. Nothing out of the ordinary, right? In the U.S., maintaining direct eye contact with someone generally communicates a sense of confidence, honesty, and attentiveness. In fact, from childhood, many Americans are taught to "look people in the eye" during conversations as a sign of respect and trustworthiness. So much so that, in certain instances, actively avoiding eye contact can be interpreted as though you're being dishonest or have something to hide.

However, this seemingly universal visual cue doesn't always translate — and it can communicate something completely different when you travel abroad. In many Asian countries — including Japan, China, and South Korea, for example — sustained eye contact is often perceived as aggressive, confrontational, or disrespectful. This is especially true when directed at elders or other authority figures. Similarly, in parts of the Middle East and among Native American cultures, direct eye contact may be considered rude or inappropriately intimate, especially between genders.

That said, knowing when and where to hold eye contact (and when to avoid it completely) plays an important role in how travelers can communicate abroad. And not only will understanding these nuances help you blend in better while traveling abroad, but it'll also give you the opportunity to show respect for local customs, potentially opening doors to even more authentic cultural experiences during your trip.

Depending on where you go, understanding local eye contact customs can save you from awkward social situations. Let's take a handful of Asian destinations. In Japan, children are taught to focus on the neck area during conversations rather than making direct eye contact, which is considered disrespectful. Similarly, in China, direct eye contact can be interpreted as confrontational — and it's often used when someone is angry or trying to start an argument.

Similarly, in Malaysia and Vietnam, prolonged eye contact is considered impolite and might even be misinterpreted for romantic interest. Meanwhile, Cambodia and Indonesia both have nuanced approaches to eye contact. On one hand, Cambodians prefer softer, more indirect visual contact during day-to-day conversations. On the other hand, in Indonesia, the rules change depending on the social status of the person you're speaking with — and direct eye contact should be avoided when talking with elders or other higher-status individuals.

Lastly, Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran both maintain some pretty strict eye contact protocols that are especially important between men and women. While same-sex eye contact shows respect and engagement, it's customary to lower your gaze when speaking with someone of the opposite sex. The same goes for Egypt, where eye contact between opposite genders should be limited. However, in business settings between men, direct eye contact is often seen as a sign of honesty and sincerity.

Eye contact is just one piece of the complex cultural puzzle that travelers need to navigate, and there are several other common gestures that can unintentionally communicate the wrong message. Hand movements, for example, generally carry significant cultural meanings that might differ from what you're used to back home. For example, showing the palm of your hand in Greece is considered highly offensive and is basically on par with "giving someone the finger" in the U.S.

Similarly, the thumbs-up sign — widely accepted in most Western countries — can be offensive in parts of the Middle East and South Asia. Pointing gestures should be used cautiously while traveling. For example, pointing in Japan is considered rude and should also be avoided. Instead, Japanese people prefer to use an open hand instead. Even nodding and other classic head movements can have different meanings globally! Specifically, while nodding means "yes" in most Western countries, in Bulgaria, Turkey, and Greece, it typically indicates "no," which can lead to some serious misunderstandings.

Lastly, personal space expectations also vary dramatically across cultures. So, although North Americans typically maintain about 18 to 36 inches of personal space with acquaintances (and roughly 3 feet or more with strangers), this distance shrinks considerably in Latin American countries.