gaussian (sotto_voce)

Every environment has its rules and customs, and your survival often depends on knowing them. In Russia, you never refuse vodka; in Pakistan, you always clear your dinner plate; and in prison, you're careful about making eye contact. Too little eye contact, and you become a victim. Too much eye contact, and you become a threat. Either way, you're never more than a couple of blinks away from getting a shiv in your back.