Space Invaders — Territories and Personal SpaceLovers press their torsos against each other and move within
each other's close Intimate Zones. This differs from the kiss
received from a stranger on New Year's Eve, from your best
friend's spouse or dear old Aunt Sally, all of whom keep their
pelvic area at least 6 inches (15cm) away from yours.
One of the exceptions to the distance/intimacy rule occurs
where the spatial distance is based on the person's social
standing. For example, the CEO of a company may be the
weekend fishing buddy of one of his subordinates and when
they go fishing each may move within the other's personal or
Intimate Zone. At the office, however, the CEO keeps his
fishing buddy at the social distance to maintain the unwritten
code of social strata rules.Why We Hate Riding in Lifts
Crowding at concerts, cinemas, in trains or buses results in
unavoidable intrusion into other people's Intimate Zones, and
people's reactions are fascinating to watch. There is a list of
unwritten rules that most cultures follow rigidly when faced
with a crowded situation such as a packed lift, in a line at the
sandwich shop or on public transport.
Here are the common lift-riding rules:
- There will be no talking to anyone, including a person you
know. - Avoid eye contact with others at all times.
- Maintain a 'poker face' - no emotion is permitted to be
shown. - If you have a book or newspaper, pretend to be deeply
engrossed in it. - In bigger crowds, no body movement is allowed.
- At all times, you must watch the floor numbers change at
all times.
This behaviour is called 'masking' and is common everywhere.