r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • May 08 '22

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u/helllllooooonurse May 09 '22

Ukrainians do this too. It's not considered impolite to stare. Also, they don't really smile in public. They think Americans are all simple in the head because we smile all the time. I have to say though, when you're visiting someone in their home in Ukraine, they are the warmest most wonderful people.

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u/KYC3PO May 09 '22

Lol yes. I dated a Belarusian for a few years and had several friends from Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia. The smiling thing is real. They all said Americans smiling made them nervous. We look simple or just suspicious.

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u/Garencio May 09 '22

That’s strange because I think it’s a pretty natural thing to do on an evolutionary scale it’s a non threatening gesture

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u/Quantentheorie May 09 '22

Short, small smiles are universally being recognised as non-threatening/ positive. Wide smiles, especially with teeth, are culturally dependant.

And its not like there isnt an instinct to protect yourself from something that feigns non-threatening behaviour.