The words for why people communicate differently.

Trust from the heart: confidence that grows from emotional closeness and time spent together, rather than from proof of competence.

Identifying with two or more cultures. People experience their cultures as blended, separate or in tension, not as one “real” self.

The study of how people use and interpret time in communication: punctuality, waiting, pacing and scheduling.

Trust from the head: belief that someone is competent and reliable, usually earned through consistent work.

Shifting between culturally associated ways of thinking or responding depending on context or language. A research concept, not proof of two personalities.

Criticism stated plainly, often without softeners and sometimes in front of others. Seen as honest and efficient in some settings, harsh in others.

A softening word such as “maybe”, “slightly” or “a little” that makes criticism sound smaller. The opposite of an upgrader.

Communication where much of the meaning lives in shared history, tone, timing and what is left unsaid. Term from Edward T. Hall.

Criticism softened, wrapped in positives or delivered privately. A way of showing respect, not of avoiding the truth.

Communication where the message lives mostly in explicit words: say it clearly, repeat key points and put it in writing.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: a framework that sorts preferences into 16 types using four pairs (E/I, S/N, T/F, J/P). Tarock offers a free MBTI-style test, not the official instrument.

Treating time as linear: one task at a time, fixed schedules, lateness read as disrespect. Term from Edward T. Hall.

Treating time as flexible: several things at once, relationships before the clock, schedules as guidelines.

Rating yourself by comparison with the people around you, which can make self-report results shift when you change cultures.

Trust built through personal connection first (meals, conversation, time), after which work flows.

Trust built through reliable delivery: do good work and you are trusted.

An intensifying word such as “absolutely” or “totally” that makes feedback stronger.

Shifting between languages, dialects or styles of speaking and behaving depending on the people and setting.

A cultural emphasis on group goals, loyalty and harmony, with identity rooted in family and community.

The capability to work and relate effectively across cultures, often described as drive, knowledge, strategy and action.

A cultural emphasis on personal goals, independence and self-expression.

How much people accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. One of Hofstede’s dimensions.

Someone who spent a significant part of childhood outside their parents’ culture, forming a blended identity.

How uncomfortable ambiguity feels and how much people rely on rules and plans to reduce it. One of Hofstede’s dimensions.

The cultural and psychological change that happens when people from different cultures come into lasting contact.

The stress and disorientation people feel when they move into an unfamiliar culture and everyday cues stop working. Named by Kalervo Oberg in 1960; often described in four stages: honeymoon, frustration, adjustment and adaptation.

Disorientation on returning home after living in another culture.

A lifelong practice of self-reflection and openness that treats others as experts on their own culture.

Understanding a practice within its own cultural context before judging it.

Judging other cultures by the standards of your own, treating your way as the default.

In the Lewis Model, a planning-focused style: schedules, facts, one task at a time.

In the Lewis Model, an expressive, relationship-first style comfortable doing several things at once.

A listening-first style that values harmony and courtesy and responds after reflection.