#40 15/03/14

KEEPING YOUR DISTANCE

     Personal space is a term that refers to the distance we like to keep between ourselves and other people. When someone we do not know well gets too close we usually begin to feel uncomfortable. If a business colleague comes close than 1.2 meters, the most common response is to move away. Some interesting studies have been done in libraries. If strangers come too close, many people get up and leave the building; others use different methods such as turning their back on the intruder. Living in cities has made people develop new skills for dealing with situations where they are very close to strangers. Most people on crowded  trains try not to look at strangers, they avoid skin contact, and apologize if hands touch by mistake. People use newspaper as a barrier between themselves and other people, and if they do not have one, they stare into the distance, making sure they are not looking into anyone's eyes