4 ms·

> how simultaneously stern everybody looks with no fake smiles or hidden gazes. People were willing to just stare at something or somebody odd FWIW, the fake s

by kmarc 1y ago

> how simultaneously stern everybody looks with no fake smiles or hidden gazes. People were willing to just stare at something or somebody odd FWIW, the fake smiles and hidden gazes, to me the least, were always a North American thing. In fact, in Switzerland we have its opposite, the infamous "Swiss stare" :-) https://www.newlyswissed.com/about-the-swiss-stare/ https://www.newlyswissed.com/about-the-swiss-stare/

soco 1y ago
I actually don't like his tone in the article. Why should the Swiss even care what is perceived as rude other countries, staring or whatever? There's this common view that immigrants from poor countries should adapt and integrate, but if they're from western(er) lands they get to judge?
- tough 1y ago
  they're tourists and treat the places they visit like human-zoos
aspect0545 1y ago
Super interesting. I recently learned that a lot of foreigners moving to Germany find that Germans are staring. It’s called the German stare. I wonder if staring is a Germanic thing. https://www.zeit.de/campus/zeit-germany/2023/01/culture-face-to-face https://www.zeit.de/campus/zeit-germany/2023/01/culture-face...
- Boogie_Man 1y ago
  Pro tip for everyone else: start counting with your thumb. For some reason I don't quite understand, my pinky and ring fingers don't operate well independently of one another. This is an issue when counting on my fingers (or attempting a boy scout salute), so I've started counting 1,2,3 from the thumb, 4 with the thumb down and all four fingers up, and 5, of course, with all digits extended. (I could start counting at my pinky, but that just makes me look totally nuts) Edit: If you read the article the comment I replied to posted, it includes thumb first counting as one of the cultural differences people experience when visiting Germany - in addition to the "Germanic Stare" they specifically mention in their comment. Consider actually reading before assuming I'm just typing nonsense - unless responding to titles and comments without reviewing the content they contain is a cultural difference I need a guide to get used to when visiting Hacker News.
  - pavel_lishin 1y ago
    I've started counting in a very weird way, because from an open hand, I can bring my ring finger down to my palm independently, but if I try to bring just my pinky down, the ring finger comes along from the ride. So when I count, I start with a closed fist, then open my thumb, followed by my index finger, then middle, then pinky, then ring finger.
  - cvwright 1y ago
    The pinkie and ring finger share a tendon - this is why they are weaker than the other fingers. Or, at least that’s how it was explained to me as a kid learning to play the double bass. The standard technique is to use those two fingers together to press the string on the upper part of the fingerboard where the most strength is required.
ajkjk 1y ago
American smiles in photos are mostly not fake, fwiw.
- mlinhares 1y ago
  It is incredibly surprising to be told to smile when taking official photos in the US. I just couldn't understand the first time it happened at the DMV, the person kept saying "smile" and i'm like, wtf, why would i smile, this is an official photo for my driver's license.
  - dfinninger 1y ago
    That’s interesting. I’ve been told every time (so far) to keep a “neutral face”. I smiled once and the guy let out a heavy sigh and made me take the photo again (Redwood City, CA DMV).
    - blarg1 1y ago
      same, here in Australia
    - rcyeh 1y ago
      Can confirm. US passport photos want a neutral expression and explicitly say (not in the below page, but elsewhere during the renewal process) not to smile. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/photos.html https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-app...
      - benreis 1y ago
        Strange, one of the example photos has a person smiling. I’ve seen several US passports recently with the person smiling. It must not be an important rule if it’s not clearly communicated or enforced. Especially since some (all?) US states allow smiling in ID photos I would think they would be more explicit about not smiling in passport photos.
    - magicnubs 1y ago

by kmarc 1y ago

soco 1y ago

I actually don't like his tone in the article. Why should the Swiss even care what is perceived as rude other countries, staring or whatever? There's this common view that immigrants from poor countries should adapt and integrate, but if they're from western(er) lands they get to judge?

tough 1y ago
they're tourists and treat the places they visit like human-zoos

aspect0545 1y ago

Super interesting. I recently learned that a lot of foreigners moving to Germany find that Germans are staring. It’s called the German stare. I wonder if staring is a Germanic thing. https://www.zeit.de/campus/zeit-germany/2023/01/culture-face-to-face https://www.zeit.de/campus/zeit-germany/2023/01/culture-face...

Boogie_Man 1y ago
Pro tip for everyone else: start counting with your thumb. For some reason I don't quite understand, my pinky and ring fingers don't operate well independently of one another. This is an issue when counting on my fingers (or attempting a boy scout salute), so I've started counting 1,2,3 from the thumb, 4 with the thumb down and all four fingers up, and 5, of course, with all digits extended. (I could start counting at my pinky, but that just makes me look totally nuts) Edit: If you read the article the comment I replied to posted, it includes thumb first counting as one of the cultural differences people experience when visiting Germany - in addition to the "Germanic Stare" they specifically mention in their comment. Consider actually reading before assuming I'm just typing nonsense - unless responding to titles and comments without reviewing the content they contain is a cultural difference I need a guide to get used to when visiting Hacker News.
- pavel_lishin 1y ago
  I've started counting in a very weird way, because from an open hand, I can bring my ring finger down to my palm independently, but if I try to bring just my pinky down, the ring finger comes along from the ride. So when I count, I start with a closed fist, then open my thumb, followed by my index finger, then middle, then pinky, then ring finger.
- cvwright 1y ago
  The pinkie and ring finger share a tendon - this is why they are weaker than the other fingers. Or, at least that’s how it was explained to me as a kid learning to play the double bass. The standard technique is to use those two fingers together to press the string on the upper part of the fingerboard where the most strength is required.

ajkjk 1y ago

American smiles in photos are mostly not fake, fwiw.

mlinhares 1y ago
It is incredibly surprising to be told to smile when taking official photos in the US. I just couldn't understand the first time it happened at the DMV, the person kept saying "smile" and i'm like, wtf, why would i smile, this is an official photo for my driver's license.
- dfinninger 1y ago
  That’s interesting. I’ve been told every time (so far) to keep a “neutral face”. I smiled once and the guy let out a heavy sigh and made me take the photo again (Redwood City, CA DMV).
  - blarg1 1y ago
    same, here in Australia
  - rcyeh 1y ago
    Can confirm. US passport photos want a neutral expression and explicitly say (not in the below page, but elsewhere during the renewal process) not to smile. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/photos.html https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-app...
    - benreis 1y ago
      Strange, one of the example photos has a person smiling. I’ve seen several US passports recently with the person smiling. It must not be an important rule if it’s not clearly communicated or enforced. Especially since some (all?) US states allow smiling in ID photos I would think they would be more explicit about not smiling in passport photos.
  - magicnubs 1y ago