# Why do guys nod when they see each other?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-guys-nod-when-they-see-each-other/68122>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [June 8, 2001, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-guys-nod-when-they-see-each-other/68122 "2001-06-08T23:42:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2001, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-guys-nod-when-they-see-each-other/68122/41 "2001-06-13T02:04:50Z")

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Reason I do the nod, very simple, I want to acknowlege his presence but don’t want to spend any more energy on it then needed.

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**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2001, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-guys-nod-when-they-see-each-other/68122/42 "2001-06-13T02:42:06Z")

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Well, my theory on the male nod phenemenon all goes back to laziness. The nod is a way of having an entire short conversation. Example:

Guy A walks down street, sees Guy B, both stop.  
Guy A: Hello.  
Guy B: Hi.  
Guy A: How are you?  
Guy B: Fine. You?  
Guy A: Alright. Wife and kids?  
Guy B: Fine, fine… How’s the job?  
Guy A: Same old, same old. Well, I’ll see ya round.  
Guy B: Yeah, see ya. Bye.  
Guy A: Bye.

Or, Guy A sees Guy B, he nods, Guy B nods in return, eliminating all that dialogue.

Eventually we will evolve into a society of simple gestures, nothin’ but nods, shakes, and so forth. Each one slightly different than the rest, making it possible to have conversations in two seconds.

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**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2001, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-guys-nod-when-they-see-each-other/68122/43 "2001-06-13T07:54:03Z")

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I do it, I don’t know why. I’m posessed. It’s, in a nutshell, recognition.

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