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Posture Talks In the United States, wherecasualnessis considered a great virtue, people often sit with feet on chairs or even desks. They sometimes sit with their backsides ( buttocks) on tables and desks as a way of expressing their individuality or career attitude. They feel comfortable crossing their legs and sitting with one ankle on the other knee . Poor postureslumping oneself over while sitting in a chair and placing feet on whatever object is aroundis a common U. S. behavior. It is designed to show that the person is casual, honest, sincere, and just one of the folks . In the United States, even millionaires, corporation presidents, government leaders, and movie stars try to pretend they are ordinary people by usingthe U. S. slouch and the feet-on-the -furnituremaneuver. Unfortunately, other countries interpret this behavior as being sloppy and as reflecting a general lack of alertness, interest, and respect. People from the United States do not usually realize that what they regard as casualness is viewed very differently and very negatively by many people around the world. People in many cultures are expected to sit erect. Such cultures include many countriesin Latin America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. In the United States, slouching is acceptable and is a positive sign of being casual and friendly. In the United States, crossing legs is a sign of good etiquette . Many cultures say thatcrossing legs is okay, but placing the ankle on the knee while crossing ones legs is totally unacceptable . | 
