Personal space

Surely everyone has friends who, whenconversation like to grab for the hands to better convey their thoughts; colleagues who sit down at your computer for lunch; in the end, the neighbors in the apartment, making their own tea in your cup. In most cases, this behavior is annoying, because people invade your personal space. And it is inviolable, except for the closest people.

Personal space is that zone, which is completely under our control. In it, we feel protected from anyinvasion from the outside. In fact, we often perceive personal space as a part of one's own personality. Therefore, any violation of the boundaries of this space, we perceive as a potential threat from outside, from which it is necessary to defend.

More often than not, personal space means a communication distance - the distance to which we are ready to "let" this or that person to communicate with us. Anthropologist Edward Hall identified four so-called intersubject zones:

• 
  intimate zone - up to 50 cm;
• 
  personal area - up to 1.5 m;
• 
  social zone - up to 4 m;
• 
  public zone - up to 7 m.

AT intimate area we let only the closest people, it is she who embodies our personal space. AT personal area we allow people for personal confidential conversations. We can say that this is a zone for good friends and acquaintances. Social zone Is an area for communication with strangers. Public Zone - this is, say, the area between the speaker and the audience. What is outside the public zone, people usually do not perceive as something that has to do with it.

That's why, by the way, many so do not likequeues and clogged public transport. It's not just a matter of purely physical discomfort, when we have to stand for a long time and even hang in an uncomfortable position, but that our personal zone in this situation is filled with people whom we would in other circumstances allow only to be social.

It is clear that these figures are very arbitrary. Much depends on the specific culture of a certain region. For example, the southern nations have a personal zoneless than the northern, so what they consider to be a manifestation of friendliness and restrained northern peoples may seem to be aggression. Western peoples have a personal zone more than the eastern ones, so a European who respects a comfortable distance for himself, an oriental person may seem unfriendly. Much, of course, depends also on the concrete person. For example, introverts usually guard their own space more zealously than extroverts.

But personal space is not only a distance for communication, which we choose when dealing with different people. This is also certain things that we consider our. In fact, these things may not belongto us officially. For example, the workplace (table, chair, computer) belongs to the employer, but while we work on it, it is our personal zone. In private space is your home - apartment, room or at least a bed in the hostel.

There is also emotional and information personal space. This is the information, those emotions and experiences,which we prefer not to share with others. Often, in violation of this personal space, teenagers are faced, whose parents find their personal diary. The right to spend free time as one likes, to no one to report about their hobbies and hobbies can be attributed to personal space.

Very important to be able to correctly assess the personal space of other people and keep the right distance. What seems to us absolutely normal can cause them discomfort. For example, you are used to kissing everyone, even "cap" acquaintances, on the cheek, and someone like this greeting is, to put it mildly, too emotional.

Often problems with the personal experience of a couple who began to live together. They have everything in common - territory, hobbies, friends,even cabinets and dishes. At first it seems sweet, and then starts to annoy. Therefore, everyone should have a personal corner in the apartment - a workplace or a rest area - his friends, his hobby, time that he can only give himself - even if it will be half an hour spent in a foam bath or on a sofa with a book. Nobody says that there should not be common friends or common hobbies. But personal space can not be taken away anyway.

Personal space gives us a sense of security and eliminates many stresses. Therefore, protect it and do not violate the boundaries of other people's personal space.