&gt; Yet what constitutes abuse is universal, and what constitutes positive social interaction is universal.<p>Only if you define it down to the basics. Some jokes are considered abusive in one culture and funny, or at least innocuous, in another. You mentioned one man putting his hand on another man&#x27;s shoulder, but back-slapping is certainly viewed differently across cultures, and then there are the subtle rules around eye contact which usually aren&#x27;t written anywhere at all except maybe sociological research papers. All of those things can make someone feel rather uncomfortable if they meet exactly the wrong person, perhaps after everyone&#x27;s had a few drinks.<p>Abuse is culturally dependent. Some things are regarded as universally wrong, perhaps, but vast swathes of things aren&#x27;t universal in the slightest.