i'm not anti-social but i'm sometimes very uncomfortable with this hugging phase our society is going through.
does anyone else feel a bit strange about this as the rule now and not just the exception?
?
Favorite Answer
Good question I never really thought about it like that. But having lived all over the world and on both east cost and west coast in the US. I can tell that East Coast Americans are the most uptight people in the world...or that I have yet to meet. But when did it become accpetable to greet strangers with a hug? I did'nt realize it was. But I would say if hugging a stranger makes you uncomforatable simply back off, and offer a hand shake instead.
Cheshire Cat
Hmm... You must live in the southwest USA. Hugging as a greeting is a latino way of greeting whilst hand shaking is germanic. Don't worry it that makes you seem a bit frigid to outsiders though: the Japanese were baffled that we would even touch physical bodies at all as their greeting is a bow.
I learned the hard way, however, that the perfunctory kiss on the cheeks is not an actual kiss ON, but a kiss AT the cheeks. So even latin culture is not as cozy as it seems... Otherwise, guys might get the wrong idea...
water lily
since when was this? i only know that when I'm with Hispanics and introduced to each other then its the hug n kiss on cheek thing out of humility, but in all the other cultures it's basically a handshake. and the handshake is better if you are complete strangers
Annie
I really don't mind it much, though when people hug me it's usually after we've talked for at least five minutes...
I don't see what the problem would be. If you don't want the hug, just stick your hand out for a handshake in a preemptive move.
nora22000
I think the hugging thing started as an overreaction to avoiding touching people who might have AIDS, because I never noticed the practice untill the late-80s.
It's bogus; hugs should be reserved for close relationships.