#CulturalEtiquette #Politeness #SocialInteractions
Is It a Cultural Thing to Say “Hi Name” and Wait for a Response Before Continuing with the Subject? 🤔
Have you ever experienced someone initiating a conversation by saying “Hi [your name]” and then waiting for your response before diving into the subject at hand? This is a common occurrence in many cultures and can often leave people questioning the reason behind it. In this article, we will delve into the cultural implications of this behavior and discuss whether it is simply a matter of politeness or has a deeper significance.
Cultural Norms and Expectations
In many cultures, it is customary to acknowledge the presence of another person before engaging in a conversation. This act of greeting serves as a sign of respect and acknowledging the other person’s individuality. In some cultures, the use of a person’s name in the greeting is considered to be a personal touch that further emphasizes the respect for the individual.
Examples of Cultural Differences
1. In Japan, it is common for people to greet each other with a bow and a formal exchange of pleasantries before engaging in a conversation. This demonstrates the importance of acknowledging the other person’s presence and showing respect for their cultural norms.
2. In Latin American cultures, it is customary to greet others with a kiss on the cheek or a warm embrace before moving on to the topic of discussion. This physical gesture serves as a form of social acknowledgment and sets the tone for the interaction that follows.
3. In some European cultures, such as Germany, a firm handshake and direct eye contact are essential components of greeting someone before initiating a conversation. This signals an acknowledgment of the other person’s presence and sets the stage for a meaningful interaction.
Politeness or Cultural Significance?
The act of saying “Hi [your name]” and waiting for a response before proceeding with the subject can be seen as a form of politeness in some cultures. It is a way of acknowledging the other person’s presence and showing respect for their individuality. However, in other cultures, this practice may hold a deeper significance that goes beyond mere politeness.
Understanding Cross-Cultural Communication
1. When engaging in conversations with individuals from different cultural backgrounds, it is important to be mindful of their unique greeting customs and to reciprocate in a manner that aligns with their expectations.
2. It is essential to approach cross-cultural interactions with an open mind and a willingness to learn about the customs and traditions of others. This not only fosters mutual respect but also paves the way for meaningful and harmonious communication.
Navigating Social Interactions in a Diverse World
In today’s interconnected world, it is inevitable that we will encounter people from diverse cultural backgrounds in our personal and professional lives. By gaining an understanding of the cultural nuances surrounding greetings and social interactions, we can navigate these encounters with grace and sensitivity.
In conclusion, the act of saying “Hi [your name]” and waiting for a response before continuing with the subject is indeed a cultural phenomenon that varies across different societies. Whether it is seen as a gesture of politeness or holds deeper cultural significance, it is important to approach such interactions with respect and an open-minded attitude.
Next time you encounter someone who initiates a conversation in this manner, take a moment to appreciate the cultural nuances at play and respond in a way that honors their customs. After all, a little understanding can go a long way in fostering meaningful connections in our multicultural world.
It’s because they’re writing the same way they would talk. It’s why half my company has their profile set to https://sbmueller.github.io/nohello/
Don’t think it’s a cultural thing, it’s just how people do in phone conversations.
Next time send them this: [https://nohello.net/en/](https://nohello.net/en/)
I have the link as part of my status at work. I pretty much don’t respond to people just say “Hi!” anymore.
Many people’s natural instincts is to treat chat as if you were talking to somebody in real life, just with long pauses between comments. You can tell them to not to do it, but habits and natural instincts are hard to break.
I just don’t worry about it, but I don’t see it a wasted time. It takes me 1 second to say “hi” and then go back to what I was doing, while I wait for another message.
unless it’s someone I work with a lot, I just don’t respond until they tell me something useful
Idk I don’t usually wait. I think being direct is nice and not having to wait for a response to a “hey person” saves time. Also if someone just messaged me “hey prof-“ with nothing else I’d be a little confused and maybe start overthinking what they want lol
Example if I have a problem with code another team member wrote and I’m touching:
“Hey, X. I’m having some issue with Y, and have tried z so far without much success. Think we could jump on a call and hash it out”.
I literally just ended my day responding to one of these. I just say “hi” back and will go in circles if need be. Play stupid games win stupid prizes
This was my experience dealing with my India based tech lead, meanwhile I would just dump all relevant information and wait on response only to have to reiterate said information.
I wonder if I was seen as rude since I’m Indian myself but Americanized af
Yeah another good one is “hey I have a question” and then nothing
When I am busy and don’t want to deal I just ignore messages that are just “hi”, because they rarely follow up.
Why do only Indian people do this?
I see it just as rude. It’s just wasting my time.
I’ve had coworkers who would begin EVERY interaction with “hey, how are you?” Including when I was a tech lead and they were on my team, so they’d be messaging me several times a day. It took everything in me not to say “about the same as last time you asked 20 minutes ago.”
I’m not Indian but I’ve started doing this because of my Indian co workers 🤣
I don’t respond to “hello” or “hey” in slack.
Slack is for async communication. Get to the fucking point.
I agree with the nohello crowd in general, but do realize that a pre-emptive “hi” can do a lot to soften the impact of someone’s words when they’re otherwise (perhaps unwittingly) brash and blunt.
I understand the frustration. A big pet peeve of mine. When I want an answer for something I’ll say, “Hey [name]. [info dump].”
One of the things I hate most about work conversations. I try to set an example by formatting my messages as “Hi name. *proceed to my actual point*”
I’m surprised by the number of people saying they straight up don’t respond to chats. I get it’s annoying, but communication is part of our job.
It’s an Indian thing
I lead with hi assuming they are screen sharing with notifications still on
I don’t want to blast whatever it is into a meeting they may be leading.
Crap, am I weird for not immediately speaking after saying “Hi X”?
I’m a freak.
We had an offshore team once that I worked with for about 6 months. One guy in particular would send me greetings with no rhyme or reason, and NEVER escalated to anything.
I had 6months of…
> Him: Hello
> Me: Hi, how are you?
> Him: Good, thank you
(2 days later)
> Him: Hi
> Me: Good morning
> Him: Good morning
Etc.
He’d greet me, I’d greet him back. That’s it.
It’s very common with Indians and Pakistani people. For people from those countries (I mean like raised there), am I seen as rude when I DM then a direct question without waiting for them to say “hello” to me?
We have a whole documentation page called “nohello”that insists you don’t just say “hi” or “hello” in an opening message haha. Say hi, with a concise request.
If some one is a dev or technical field and they know your the person to ask they should get straight to the point.
If you send me a msg saying hi I will ignore you
It’s their problem. Just don’t respond untill they’ve told you why they’re reaching out.
Just don’t address it until they ask you what they need to
It seems like some people are avoiding the subject, but yeah, it’s an Indian thing. I couldn’t tell you why, but it’s far too ubiquitous to not have a cultural component. It really should be easier to talk about these things, because there are a lot of cultural differences that can lead to tension. I know there are certain speech patterns and habits some Indians have that occasionally make an American feel like they’re being spoken down to or disrespected in some way where the intent just isn’t there. Being quiet and refusing to talk about the differences certainly isn’t helping.
I always ignore the “hi” without a question/statement.
I thought you were talking about face to face communication and I couldn’t believe that anyone would just come up and dump their problem on you without at least saying ‘Hi’ and waiting for a response.
Over messaging it’s just psychotic. Just say what you want in your opening message.
Usually it’s people that can’t async and they just spin lock until you respond.
They are doing the TCP, just waiting for your ACK.
It’s the least efficient way of communication. I always do quick greeting then the subject and details. I don’t expect a response right away because I already put a massive amount of text.
If they say hi and nothing else, I assume they already found the answer to the question they wanted to ask, so I just ignore.
I think it is generational.
I always write three messages,
1. Hey/hi
2. Kontext (what I am doing/working on)
3. Question.
Gen Z and technical people like me and consider me nice and polite, while management and older folk think I am rude and little weird.
‘Hi [name]. Can I ask you something?’ feels weird too, it’s like they’re about to ask something very private and serious and I immediately feel uncomfortable
It’s like TCP SYN/ACK lmao
In my experience I’ve only had Indian people do it. I stopped responding to the random hi until they told me what they want
I have a coworker doing this. It’s fucking annoying. Please for the love of god say what you wanna say so I can respond instead of holding my attention hostage.