A former CIA official has revealed the one body language mistake that can instantly give away Americans overseas.
According to one of the agency's top former spies, the seemingly harmless habit of propping yourself against a wall, railing or doorway is such a telltale sign of being American that intelligence officers were trained to avoid it while on undercover missions abroad.
Jonna Mendez, the CIA's former Chief of Disguise, said officers had to be 'de-Americanized' so they would blend into their surroundings and avoid drawing attention to themselves.
Mendez explained that Americans are often perceived as more relaxed and informal than people in other countries, with their casual posture and tendency to lean making them stand out in a crowd. A habit that has been coined the 'American lean.'
She said foreigners can sometimes spot Americans simply by their demeanor on the street, noting that people in many countries tend to stand straighter and are less likely to lean against objects.
In a separate Reddit 'Ask Me Anything' session, Mendez expanded on the stereotypes surrounding Americans abroad, saying they are often viewed as more casually dressed than other nationalities and tend to be louder in public.
She joked that you can often identify a group of American tourists outside a tourist office simply by the amount of noise they're making.
'We are not disparaged everywhere,' Mendez added, 'but we do tend to stand out.'
Americans are often perceived as more relaxed and informal than people in other countries, with their casual posture and tendency to lean making them stand out in a crowd. A habit that has been coined the 'American lean'
The so-called 'American lean' has become such a recognizable habit that the CIA reportedly trained undercover officers to avoid it while working overseas.
Resting a shoulder or hip against a wall, railing or doorway may seem natural to many Americans, but intelligence officials say the relaxed stance can immediately make them stand out abroad.
In many countries, people are more likely to stand upright and avoid leaning in public spaces, particularly on crowded sidewalks or in busy markets where taking up extra room is frowned upon.
That subtle difference in posture is enough to catch the attention of locals, making it easier to spot tourists or even undercover operatives trying to blend in.
According to Mendez, body language can reveal a person's background long before they speak, which is why CIA officers were taught to adopt local mannerisms, from the way they stood to how they carried themselves on the street.
For most travelers, the habit is harmless. But for spies operating undercover, something as simple as leaning against a wall could be enough to blow their disguise.
In the 2019 interview with NPR, which Upworthy recently reported, Mendez highlighted other habits that are dead giveaways.
She noted that non-Americans wear their wedding rings on different fingers.
Across Europe, wedding rings are traditionally worn on the fourth finger, or ring finger, but the hand they are placed on varies by country.
In countries such as the UK, France, Italy, Sweden and the Czech Republic, couples typically wear their wedding bands on the left hand.
The custom is rooted in the ancient Roman belief in the vena amoris, or 'vein of love,' which was thought to run directly from the ring finger to the heart. This is the same tradition as in America.
However, in much of Central and Eastern Europe, including Germany, Poland, Austria, Russia and Ukraine, wedding rings are traditionally worn on the right hand.
The practice is often linked to religious traditions, particularly within Eastern Orthodox Christianity, and in some cultures, the right hand is associated with honor, strength and fidelity.
'And in a restaurant... They eat differently than we do. They don't shuttle that fork back and forth,' said Mendez.
