My son sent this to me, after having read it on a popular trivia mailing
list. Does anyone know if this has really been determined by reputable
professionals? It seems reasonable!

   "Why does it mean "yes" when we nod our head up and down, and
>  "no" if we shake it from side to side? (answer below)
>
>  Imagine how many misunderstandings there have been throughout
>  history because someone happened to be trying to flex a stiff
>  neck or perhaps shake a fly off his or her ear. How many wars
>  and multimillion-dollar contracts owe their genesis to some
>  sleep-deprived negotiator nodding off for a second?
>
>  Nevertheless, a nod or a shake is the body language signal we
>  use and they seem to be universal. How can that be? What is
>  there in our biology that would make this body language
>  "natural" for everyone? As best we can tell, it comes from
>  breast-feeding. Babies seeking a breast on which to suck make
>  a nodding motion, which mother and child both understand as a
>  positive gesture. Infants shake their head away from the
>  breast when they've had enough or aren't hungry.
>
>  I wonder if my behavior when I don't get my way, throwing a
>  tantrum, is also universal.
>
>  (Source: EVER WONDER WHY? By Douglas B. Smith)"

Jennie in Israel





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