I can still remember walking into the Pub Social during orientation and being penetrated by puzzled glances of horror when I greeted a group of students. They fell victims to the tricky social tradition that none but very few have mastered: the kiss greeting.
In Latin America, greeting someone you’ve just met with a kiss is as normal as any other gesture, shared among family members, friends and even strangers. Just like a handshake or a hug, cheek kissing has the innocent intention of conveying friendship. But no matter what it means in my culture, it can easily be misinterpreted when given to people who are strangers to the practice.
That night at the pub, I violated the unspoken cultural law of personal space— and I was mortified.
However, how I respond to a cultural mistake might matter even more than the fact that I messed up. Before panicking, I explained the nature of my action, and used it as a chance to introduce myself and where I’m from. This sparked a conversation that jumped from continent to continent, learning about different traditions and laughing at mistakes that others made that week.
All the diversity in our world is what makes it so fascinating. Taking the time to discuss others’ traditions reflected my intention to show respect for different cultures and give others the chance to learn about my own. That moment, all our differences, while they didn’t exactly vanish, seemed not nearly as important as everything that united us.