Offensive Hand Gestures Around the World

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We’ve listed several hand positions that make your speech stale and less engaging, but there are also offensive gestures that you should be aware of prior to speaking at an engagement.

While the western world and parts of Europe often have much in common, the two vary quite significantly when it comes to hand gestures. What can be perceived as good luck in one country could mean something else in other places.

Here’s a chart of the most common global hand gestures and their differences throughout the world.

Common Hand Gestures and What They Mean Around The World
Common Global Hand Gestures and What They Mean Around The World

Key Hand Positions to Learn
While it can be tempting to consider what you can portray with your right indonesia phone number list hand vs. left hand, you don’t need to think about a distinct hand movement for every single sentence or word in your speech. Rather, understanding the core emotions you want to convey is going to help you the most. This is especially true if you want to talk give a TED Talk.

There are a few key hand positions that lend themselves well to this. Let’s look at what they are.

Steepling vs. Wringing
cartoon image of Steve Jobs steepling hand gesture
Steve Jobs frequently steepled his hands during speeches to project an air of assurance and experience. He would place his fingertips together on both hands, spread them out, and then arch them.

Steepling is different from wringing, which is when someone clasps and twists their hands together. This can suggest uneasiness, discomfort, and fear. So, if you have a habit of wringing your hands together when you’re thinking, consider steepling them instead.

This is ideal for when you’re in between thoughts, as the innate action actually draws your viewer’s eyes to your face and head. Plus, it’s a simple one to do. Simply place your fingers together and stretch them outwards slightly.

You can do this whether you’re sitting or standing up, just be sure to not overdo it.

Open Palms
Whether you have your hands in front of you angled slightly outward or extended away from your body, a palms-up approach can signal that you are sincere and honest. This will also help your audience feel welcomed and more at ease.

A secondary but controversial benefit of hands up is that extending your palms out can make someone feel more accommodating and compliant.