The Definitive Book of Body LanguageIt's simply each person's attempt to hide their emotions from
others by wearing a neutral mask.
We often hear words such as 'miserable', 'unhappy' and
'despondent' used to describe people who travel to work in the
rush hour on public transport. These labels are used to
describe the blank, expressionless look on the faces of the
travellers, but are misjudgements on the part of the observer.
What the observer sees, in fact, is a group of people masking
— adhering to the rules that apply to the unavoidable invasion
of their Intimate Zones in a crowded public place.
The people travelling on the Underground aren't
unhappy; they're just masking their emotions.Notice how you behave next time you go alone to a crowded
cinema. As you choose a seat that is surrounded by a sea of
unknown faces, notice how, like a pre-programmed robot,
you will begin to obey the unwritten rules of masking in a
crowded public place. As you compete for territorial rights to
the armrest with the stranger beside you, you will begin to
realise why those who often go to a crowded cinema alone do
not take their seats until the lights are out and the film begins.
Whether we are in a crowded lift, cinema or bus, people
around us become non-persons — that is, they don't exist as far
as we're concerned and so we don't respond as if we were
being attacked if someone inadvertently encroaches on our
territory.
Why Mobs Become Angry
An angry mob or group of protesters fighting for a mutual
purpose does not react in the same way as an individual does
when his territory is invaded; in fact, something very different
occurs. As the density of the crowd increases, each individual
has less personal space and starts to feel hostile, which is why,