Italians and Dutch share the same gestural instinct for teaching

JSR_FDED

If I understand the article correctly, the Italians and the Dutch use the same hand gestures to explain to children the concepts of Pizza and Marijuana respectively.

riffraff

It seems reasonable to expect that some behaviors transcend culture and go back to instinct (tho expectations often conflict with reality) which probably is not even human specific. IIRC Konrad Lorenz pointed out in Solomon's Ring that rooks will exhibit "infantile behavior" when grooming in a mated couple which, well, humans do it when they cuddle too. As an aside: my favorite italian gesture is "tasty" (put index on cheek and spin back and forth) which is only used by and for children . I'm on a lifelong mission to spread it everywhere.

agiacalone

As a Sicilian and university computer science lecturer, I can say that hand gestures are my primary way of communicating concepts. So much so that the old joke holds true. How do you stop an Italian from talking? Tell them to sit on their hands.