At best, you create minor discomfort but at worst, you face backlash and you're shunned from your family or your social circle! Messing with what is socially acceptable can be brutal! But what's accepted and totally normal here might be at odds with what's acceptable where you are. And that's why it's so fascinating when two sets of social norms clash.

You know, it really makes people confused or awkward because technically in that situation, neither of them is doing anything wrong. They're both doing what's expected of them in their culture and that's totally normal. But the other person is like… Really shocked!

I'll give you an example. Here in Australia, it is really common to greet friends with a hug and a kiss. A kiss. Now it's hilarious when you get introduced to an Italian or a Brazilian in a social context because they go in for a double kiss! And some countries, it's even a triple kiss! But that little interaction can be so confusing and awkward. It's the meeting of two different social norms.

And I mean how strange is it when you hear a woman asked a man to marry her! Why is that so strange? It's just not the done thing! It's not the norm so it confuses us! If you stop and think for a minute there are so many of these situations, things that we never question because it's just the way things are.