Colonialism to Blame for Your Awkward Crossed-Arm Confusion at International Business Meetings

Who knew that colonialism was responsible for all the awkward misunderstandings and crossed arms at international business meetings? Yeah, us neither. But apparently, it's a thing.

You see, it turns out that Western cultural values and norms have been exported to every corner of the globe, thanks to a little thing called imperialism. And while this has been great for spreading the gospel of dry cleaning and fast food chains, it's also led to the adoption of Western body language norms in many parts of the world.

So, next time you're trying to figure out if that person from France is angry or just really into the concept of personal space, just remember: colonialism may be to blame.

But it's not just about crossed arms and awkward silences. No, colonialism has also led to the suppression of certain gestures and nonverbal expressions that are deemed inappropriate or disrespectful. We know, it's a total party-pooper. But it's important to remember that colonialism has robbed us of a lot more than just a good time.

But hey, it's not all bad news! Thanks to globalization, body language is becoming more universal. We may not all speak the same language, but we can all agree that the handshake is a pretty solid way to say hello. And who knows, maybe one day we'll all be able to dance on tables and make inappropriate hand gestures without fear of cultural insensitivity. A guy can dream, right?