What does it mean that cultural norms around expression?

Different cultures have different norms for emotional expression — be aware of context.

Example: A Japanese engineer transfers to a Brazilian office. In Tokyo, her composure during a project crisis earned respect — colleagues trusted her precisely because she did not display alarm. In São Paulo, the same composure is read as indifference. Her new team wonders whether she cares about the project at all. Meanwhile, her Brazilian counterpart, whose animated frustration in a meeting signals genuine investment to local colleagues, would be perceived as emotionally undisciplined in the Tokyo office. Neither person is expressing emotion incorrectly. They are following different cultural display rules for the same underlying emotional experience — concern about a failing project.

Try this: Identify three emotional expression norms you inherited from your culture of origin. For each one, write down what the norm prescribes (e.g., "do not cry in public," "express gratitude effusively," "minimize anger displays"). Then identify a context in your current life where that norm serves you well, and a context where it creates friction or misunderstanding. For the friction context, describe what the local expression norm seems to be and how you might adapt your expression without abandoning your authentic emotional experience.