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Picture this - You are in a public place, and there are two or more Africans shouting. You are sure by the tone of their voices, a fight will break out soon. While you pretend to not notice all the shouting going on, you hope deep down that whatever is going to be thrown will not hit you on the head. Few minutes pass, and then it comes...LAUGHTER. What???? You thought these people were arguing about a VERY serious matter and that one or more of them had crossed a line. Well, keyword here is 'thought.' In the presence of Africans, the definition of shouting is a little different to the one in dictionaries. In African dictionaries, shouting means 'talking to people you know the same way in public and private.' 

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You see, I grew up in an African household, and shouting was and still is considered 'talking.' When my siblings and I 'talked' about different things, the discussion would always be heated (also known as passionate) and each one of us would ensure our voices were heard. Our parents are the complete opposite, and our mum would ask, 'Why are you guys shouting? Look at how close you are sitting to each other.' And our dad would suggest we'd take turns to talk. Of course we didn't listen because not shouting or waiting for your turn meant defeat. So you had to make your point, which is where the shouting came in; you shout not because you want to, but because in order to be heard and to drown out the others, you have one option - shouting. 

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### So why do Africans shout? 

There are many reasons noted by Africans themselves, and if I were to give my own perspective on it, I would say because they are passionate, generally happy and completely oblivious to others who might view their form of communication as disruptive, annoying or concerning. As a Somali, I can speculate why my people tend to shout. I believe this behaviour is embedded in social anthropology. Historically, Somalis were nomadic people and spent most of their lives outdoors and on the move. Due to the nature of the harsh conditions they lived in, and the fact that any sign of civilization was miles away, they were not bothering anyone with their shouting. In addition, it was possible they would have to shout to communicate if there was a long distance between the same groups of herders. Of course this is my own speculation, but history plays a deeper role in people's cultures than we often give credit for. There might be other factors involved, but I believe in this theory as I have experienced it the last and only time I went back to Somalia since my childhood. In fact, Somalis in Somalia, especially nomads, put Somalis in different parts of the world to shame with their shouting skills! It's almost like everyone is tone deaf, but after a few days, I picked it up and noticed I was SHOUTING louder than I did abroad. 

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### It's not ONLY Africans who shout 

When I hear Africans shouting, at first, I do think they might be arguing since I don't understand their language. However, I soon remember that this is the normal conclusion others would reach about me if they didn't understand my language. So, how about other cultures? Well, although Africans are quick to be labelled as destroyers of peace with their shouting, there are many cultures that are just as notorious for their louder than normal form of communication. Let's take a look at some of them;

### Americans 

Unlike Africans, Americans are not only known for being loud, but also obnoxious. I haven't been to the States, but during my travels as well the ones I came across in London, I can honestly say this is true. For example, two Americans could board a train or walk into a cafe, and completely destroy any sign of peace and quiet. And within a minute or so, EVERYONE knows where in the US they are from (they constantly reference it), what happened to them or to someone they know and everything in between, like 'Oh my God.' What's the difference between Africans and Americans? Well Africans are loud without meaning to, and without wanting to make a point. Americans are loud to say, 'The Americans are here, better pay attention.' It might not be true, but this is at least my generalized conclusion. 

### Spanish

They are loud and talk about 100 miles per hour. So the combination of the pace and tone of their communication is both deafening and dizzying. But unlike Africans, Spaniards don't sound angry or aggressive. And unlike the Americans, they don't come across as obnoxious. 

### Arabs 

Arabs are loud too. And many people might equate their tone of voice with aggression. But they don't shout as loud as Africans. But every age group is usually loud and having worked in the Middle East, I have noticed their kind of loudness is chaotic. It's difficult to know if there's a focus in conversations or if everyone is just speaking at the same time. They are similar to Africans in terms of competing for the 'loudest' person in the conversation. 

### And then there are Italianos! 

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Italians are actually my favourite 'shouters.' There is something crazy but hilarious about their form of communication. And because they use a combination of gestures and loudness, they seem to have mastered the 'art' of shouting with class. It's smooth, non-aggressive, passionate and hilarious at the same time. 

### Africa Calling! Africans on the phone

Africans do not only shout in person. Oh no! There is unwritten rule that if you are African, and you are talking to another African, you have to shout on the phone too. I have no idea the logic behind this one! I have noted it when my mum is talking to relatives in Somalia and after she gets off the phone, we ask her why she is shouting although she doesn't shout in person. Of course it's difficult to explain, but I believe it's the assumption that the further the person you are speaking to, the louder you have to be to be heard. In other words, my mum wouldn't shout when talking to someone in the UK. I have noticed I have this when I am on the phone, even if it's to someone in the UK. My husband jokes about this and whenever I get off the phone, he shouts 'Africa!' because I was shouting on the phone without intending to 😰  

I am sure there are many other countries that have shouting as a cultural norm, but the ones above are based on personal experience. 

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