How important is Greeting to Africans?
The act of greeting is a universal concept. In Africa, greeting is more than just a polite expression of good will. Greeting in Africa signifies friendship, honour, and respect. Respect devoid of greeting is an incomplete respect. View greeting as the lubricant that smoothens relationships and human interactions. Although some people would always argue that greeting does not necessarily mean love, but at the same time, real enemies most likely do not exchange greetings.
The African culture demands that people should greet, and most often, exchange pleasantries. It is a norm and a common practice for the younger people to first initiate greetings towards the elderly ones. This act expresses mutual respect and fosters peace among people. In a family, it maintains respect and orderliness, ensuring emotional stability among the member of the family. Because the truth is, there would likely be no peace in any African family where the members do not practice effective greeting culture. Imagine a child waking up in an African home and refusing to greet his parents. By that singular act, if repeated consistently, would automatically stigmatize the child as a bad and irresponsible child, even if he did every other thing right. Wise and responsible parents encourage their children to always greet people, because it has become one of the essential yardsticks through which the society uses to measure good manners.
Not All Africans Greet
Despite how Africans value greetings, people differ. There are some Africans who do not value greeting. They do it like a work. But instead of stressing oneself, greeting should be something that supposed to come freely through the mind, with understanding and proper self awareness. If you had to force and question yourself every time before you greet people, you are simply doing it the wrong way. It is time to have a renewed mindset, and re-examine the reason why you are greeting the person in the first place. Maybe, you are greeting with the wrong reason.
Why Some People May Not Like to Greet
I believe that people would always have a reason for doing or not doing something. Some people do not greet for several reasons; they are too shy or too introverted. It could also be that they are too arrogant and proud, and to others, it could be some trivial reasons that may not really make sense to you.
The Thirteen-Year-Old Boy
I had a heart-to-heart conversation with a thirteen-year-old boy who doesn’t greet me whenever we meet. He had never argued or disobeyed me, but he simply never greeted me. At first, I thought he was just personally being rude to me. However, it was recently that I discovered that he behaved that way to everyone—he doesn’t just greet people. It was a little weird to me, so I became curious and decided to talk to him. Then I discovered that his major reason for not greeting people was as trivial as something I never expected.
“People don’t respond whenever I greet them,” he said to me. That was his only reason for not greeting people. Well, as every responsible adult would do, I simply advised him and also encouraged him to never stop greeting people.
“When you greet people and they didn’t respond, it could be that they simply didn’t hear you. Greet them one more time.” I said to him. He was still young and had long way to go. Adopting the attitude of not greeting people would definitely halt his growth in his journey through life. In a world that thrives with connections and relationships, how is he going to survive without making friends with valuable people and creating strategic meaningful relationships with those who would most likely help him?
Conclusion
Africans were not the only ones who appreciate the greeting culture the most. Greeting is a universal language. Irrespective of language and culture, greeting would always be practiced and appreciated. It may change methods, styles and even patterns, due to diversities in cultures and traditional differences, but at the end of the day it is all greetings, and the principle still remains. Even animals certainly have their very beautiful and unique ways of expressing and appreciating greetings among themselves.
Finally, let this article inspire you to step up your greeting game. That single “hello” you said to someone else, or even to a stranger could open a door for you.
