Abdullah Gul meets with Amir Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah

Turkey's President Abdullah Gul meets with Amir Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah of Kuwait during his official visit to Kuwait, on December 21, 2009.

Here we see two powerful people, who are both happy, with the confident and often times negative finger pointing gesture.

While it is still perceived as negative what is important is how neither wants to be perceived as weaker, so they match each others gesture.

In this case whomever holds it higher wins. Based on the picture it would be likely Amir Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah of Kuwait was first to make the gesture and Turkey's President Abdullah Gul followed suit.

In a way it is gesture gamesmanship, and in politics it is important to master- especially in the Middle East.