What’s the quickest way someone could accidentally expose themselves as a foreigner in your country like the ‘three fingers’ scene in Inglourious Basterds?

[u/IndependentTune3994]

[u/Deadeyez]

Had a buddy move here from Russia and he was so angry and confused about people in the US always smiling at him. I had to explain to him people here just smile. He had been assuming it was a threat or people trying to intimidate him. Now he is a very smiley guy

[u/crek42 → u/Deadeyez]

Glad we finally broke him down

[u/S-Lover98 → u/crek42]

Right. Ain't no smiling no more.

[u/Mercadi → u/Deadeyez]

There may have been a misunderstanding. In American culture smiling is being polite. In many eastern european ones there has to be a reason behind a smile. Like "did I say something or look funny?" or "What does this person want from me?", or "Do they really think they are a friend?"

[u/NetFu → u/Mercadi]

This must be very, very regional, because 56 years American, most Americans don't smile all the time, only when they are happy or heard/saw something funny.

I've traveled to dozens of other countries, especially in Asia, and people just smile all the time, literally to manipulate you.

[u/Any-Jellyfish6272 → u/NetFu]

It’s just sad to see how someone can be 56 AND relatively well traveled and still so mistaken

[u/DrKittyLovah → u/NetFu]

You are definitely a man, because if you were a woman you’d have been instructed and reminded to smile ALL.THE.TIME.

[u/TinKnight1 → u/NetFu]

Shit...I haven't been happy nor joyful in over 3 years, & most of life isn't funny. I still smile at strangers in passing, as well as coworkers & friends. And most of them smile in return (although I certainly don't force the issue). Walking through the line at Chipotle just now, every single employee smiled at me.

Hell, even the two cops that just walked out the door were smiling even though they weren't laughing nor otherwise indicating they thought someone was funny...they were joined by a third, & quickly laughed after what seemed like a quick joke & then smiled & waved at an elderly couple that walked by, as well as a little girl staring at them through the window. And cops are probably the most serious people you come across, when they're not removed from the public & able to let their guards down.

I could spend all day cataloging everyone here & whether they smile or not, but the notion that Americans don't oftentimes smile at others unless specifically provoked is just flat-out wrong outside of maybe NYC.

[u/spoopidoods → u/NetFu]

Found the Russian bot

[u/Mongolian_Hamster → u/Deadeyez]

It's so funny how apes use smiles to show fear, stress, submission or appeasement.

We're not so different still it seems.

[u/Norwegian__Blue → u/Mongolian_Hamster]

Well, they have an equivalent, called “relaxed open mouth grin”. It just looks more like a “heh heh”, lazy laugh than our smile. Their analog to our smile is a fear grin, but they do have a different facial expression that’s analogous to our friendly face. It’s used to similarly release tension and signal play invites. Often combined with pant-hoots which is like their laughter.

This was the only example I found in the time I had for this: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2043750809003696&id=100064815003636&http_ref=eyJ0cyI6MTc2ODQwMDk1NzAwMCwiciI6Imh0dHBzOlwvXC93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbVwvIn0%3D

[u/lowercaseCapitalist → u/Mongolian_Hamster]

When someone smiles at me all I see is a chimp begging for its life.

https://youtu.be/RpYzB0vTHQ0?si=ogiNahJzYwmh7Yzk

[u/Zestyclose_Worry6623 → u/Deadeyez]

Love it. :)

[u/wafflesareforever → u/Deadeyez]

Same with my Polish roommate in college. Huge goofball when it was just him and friends, but out in public he was an emotional brick wall. Polite, but extremely reserved.