Thursday; November 1
I have never been big on hugging. In fact, my mother-in-law would make it a point to give me a hug every time she saw me just to keep up the good-natured ribbing. While I may not, personally, be a big fan of hugging I realize that they can be an important part of our social interaction. Yes – I did just say that hugging is good! I realize that in today’s world any type of physical contact or anything that can be misconstrued as sexual in nature is taboo, but that doesn’t mean that it’s true. Yes, it is possible for someone to misuse a hug, but I also believe that when used with wisdom and (some) discretion they can create a heightened social bond. When we hug, we ... 1) ... demonstrate trust. Allowing someone to get this close to us demonstrates our willingness to be emotionally and physically vulnerable – in other words we tell the people that we trust them enough to allow them to get close to us. Physical distance might produce as sense of safety, but hugs promote trust