Show In 1963, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel sang about The Sounds of Silence. A West African proverb states, "Silence is also speech." English poet Thomas Carlyle translated the phrase "Silence is Golden" from German in his book Sartor Resartus in 1831. In the 6th century, Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu claimed that "Silence is a source of great strength.” Clearly, silence is something of import to cultures from around the world. Yet, do we know what it means? There is no universal definition. How silence is used depends upon the culture as well as the situation. How Much Silence Is Acceptable? Silence When Asked a Question Imagine the confusion this could cause in a conversation between a Malaysian and an American. When the Malaysian doesn't respond immediately, the American says something else, hoping to elicit a response from the Malaysian; while the Malaysian is waiting for silence so that they may rejoin the discussion. Silence When Speaking in a Second
Language When speaking with someone for whom English is not their first language, the person may need time to consider the question, frame and answer, and then translate their thoughts into English before responding. If you do not know this, you may inadvertently interrupt the silence and ask the same question in a different way, thinking the person did not understand your first query. Silence in Listening Cultures Since silence has many meanings in listening cultures, it is important to de-code silence in each situation. In Japan, if you are making a presentation to a group and the most senior Japanese closes his eyes and is silent, it can mean conflicting things. His silence could mean agreement with what the presenter is saying; however, it could also mean that he does not want to publicly disagree. How would you know the difference? Generally, the optimal approach is to slow down your speech and make sure you are speaking in a way that is not too complicated and doesn’t use too many idioms. You might then try asking a question to confirm understanding. Silence in Speaking Cultures Silence in Hierarchical Cultures Silence as a Negotiating
Tool Handling Silence in
Meetings Related LinksPopular ArticlesWhat culture is eye contact disrespectful?In fact, in Japanese culture, people are taught not to maintain eye contact with others because too much eye contact is often considered disrespectful.
What is eye contact in American culture?But what does eye contact mean in American culture? The answer is–your interest in what the person is saying! It plays a key role in a social interaction since it represents a person's engagement with a conversation.
Is eye contact appropriate for all cultures?Such sensitivity to eye contact seems to be innate and universal among humans; however, several studies suggest that cultural norms affect eye contact behaviours. For example, Japanese individuals exhibit less eye contact than do individuals from Western European or North American cultures.
Is eye contact respectful or disrespectful?Maintaining eye contact during a conversation gives the impression that you are friendly and that you are paying attention to the other person. In some cultures, however, direct eye contact is considered rude or hostile.
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