I call it The Nod.
The Nod is when you are walking down
the hallway at work, or down the street and you see someone you know,
but not very well.
Usually, it is an upward nod for an
acquaintance.
And how much you do the up nod depends
largely on how well you know the person.
If it is someone you have seen once
in a while, there is just a slight upward nod to say yes, I recognize
you, but don't really know you. But because we both sort of know each
other, social convention dictates we acknowledge each other, so I am
sending you the up nod to say I know you, just not very well.
The better you know the person, the bigger the up nod.
The better you know the person, the bigger the up nod.
A full head tilt means I know you to
the point there have been a few conversations, but you are not
exactly on my Christmas card list. However, there is a personal
connection and I am acknowledging that.
Then, there is the up nod with a smile
or perhaps with even a “Hey” thrown in.
This is for people of an even higher
social status, but are still not at the point of being considered a
friend.
However, their presence is important
enough to warrant a full up nod and a vocalization that I see you
there, I have some sort of connection to you and in general I would
consider it a favourable connection.
There is also the down nod.
The down nod is almost exclusively for
those people you don't know at all.
Perhaps you are walking down the street
and happen to make eye contact with someone who is also walking down
the street.
Rather than stare at each other
awkwardly, social convention has developed the down nod.
The down nod says several things:
- I see you and acknowledge that you are in fact, alive.
- That you exist on the same planet as I do and because we made eye contact – intentional or otherwise – it is polite to acknowledge that we are both alive and living in the same community even if we don't know each other and will likely never see each other again.
- It is sort of an “Attaboy for being alive” kind of greeting.
There are numerous variations of the up
nod/down nod. And they can be altered to best suit whatever
situation you may find yourself in.
You could run into someone you have
known for a long time, but don't like. That is when the down nod is
acceptable.
But nodding is mostly used for
face-to-face encounters.
While operating motorized vehicles,
there are other forms of non-verbal communication that can be
employed.
We all know what the No. 1 signal is
for drivers, but only slightly behind is when you use all five
fingers to wave.
Cut someone off in traffic? No problem,
a little wave of the hand means I see I cut you off and I acknowledge
the fact I did so, but I gave the little wave so that's means it's OK
because I just apologized.
Whether the other driver accepts the
apology is determined by how many fingers are used to wave back.
If it involves two or more, all is
good. The driver is not offended and realizes stuff happens. If they
wave with only one finger, then they are not in a forgiving mood.
Cut someone off in a parking lot?
Give them a little wave and all is
good.
Nearly hit them backing up in said
parking lot?
Wave.
Pull out a little more than than you
should have, causing them to touch the brakes and have a hostile look
on their face?
Wave.
Wave.
Run over their garbage can, flower box
and garden gnome?
Wave and you are good to go.
Well, that last one may require a
little more than a wave.
Perhaps a wave and a nod.
Copyright 2017 Darren Handschuh
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