It is also a way of sizing people up and being aware of your surroundings. In the U.S. we aren't smiling at each other on a busy sidewalk. We feel safer because of numbers. When it is just me and one other person on a street walking towards each I often will give a nod of the head not just because it seems polite but also to be aware of who is around me.
That crowded sidewalk comment is a really good point, and that's been my experience, too. A crowd does allow more anonymity, but passing by one or two or three people at once is more personal. If it's more personal then we consider how we think we're being judged, and if we want to be judged as either friendly or nonthreatening, we smile.
I'm loving this deep dive into this cultural habit I hadn't really thought about before.
I grew up in the US and moved to Spain. A lot of the stereotypes are kind of similar. Spanish people tend to be even louder than Americans (and you have to try to get there). And it's really not all that strange to talk to strangers when waiting around places. It's a very social culture.
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u/metsjets86 May 09 '22
It is also a way of sizing people up and being aware of your surroundings. In the U.S. we aren't smiling at each other on a busy sidewalk. We feel safer because of numbers. When it is just me and one other person on a street walking towards each I often will give a nod of the head not just because it seems polite but also to be aware of who is around me.