I’ve often wondered why some people are so approachable, and others make me want to step around them?
Questions arise. Is personal space an actual human need? Just like living, breathing, moving? Is it like a colourless, shapeless, essential nothingness around you, enough of it if you’re lucky, confining and frustrating if you don’t? |
This question of required space is different for each human.
On it goes, this waxing and waning process, amorphous shaping every day, as we use our personal space.
The Apple watch on your wrist reminds you to get up from your TV to walk, your Peloton exerciser orders you harshly to half kill yourself. (Amazingly, you pull out all the stops to obey these gadgets, but get quite offended if another human tries this with you!)
Wifi doesn’t take consideration of your personal space, but somehow isn’t offensive? Is that because you have control?
Possibly nothing has brought our awareness of the need for personal space as much as the present Covid-19 pandemic. Social distancing is a term familiar to most folks now. Masks are worn to protect others from us, and us from others.
The need for personal space has been overshadowed by international lockdowns, suddenly jamming folks together unnaturally. Fear, anguish plus rage have been the result. Politicians have lost no time in stepping into weakened areas of space that present themselves.
Who can forget the thousands of citizens massed at Kabul airport in Afghanistan, waiting for days to have a chance at a better life elsewhere? Talk about invading personal space! Theirs were absolutely non-existent. They were jammed together, with no space between them. People were dying, crushed under a load of stinking humanity. No toilet facilities, no showers, water, food. It was unbearable. So extreme lack of space can actually kill.
Just two days ago, on April 7, as I write this, Ukrainians trying desperately to flee from Putin’s merciless armed forces were bombed at a train station. This is only one event, in a series of horrific attacks in this war.
It’s important to teach and reinforce the teaching of children not to invade other people’s personal “bubble”, using all these examples of how dire life can become if they don’t. All the politicians were once children too. Presumably, they lost their way when it came to war-mongering, and no respect for others, even their own citizens.
Invasion of personal space seems to create more and more wishes to do so. Hatred for others builds to a point where no respect or caring matters.
Hopefully, we all keep enough kind space in our hearts to feel absolute heartbreak when a disaster, which is so hopeless, affects our fellow humans, no matter where they are.
You can feel when you’re comfortable and at the perfect distance from others. Only you can determine that. Wear your personal space with pride and a smile.
Oh yes, a smile is part of your personal space too! Long ago, in evolution, monkeys learned to bare their teeth as a warning to not invade their personal space. We’ll never know exactly what the mysterious Mona Lisa smile is all about, but it’s powerful enough that folks still talk about it, and somehow you just know not to invade hers!
Agree? disagree? Make my day! Thanks for reading, and your comments below are always appreciated.