When I went to England I noticed that people would apologize or even freak out if they as much as touched my little finger. At first I thought that maybe I was putting people off, but later it was explained to me that English people are just incredibly nervous about touching people they don't know very well.
I've been to conventions in quite a few countries by now, and England is the only country where most people asked for a handshake rather than a hug.
Haha, but here in England, we consider it weird to hug or touch people we don't know. However, we would thank the bus drivers. On the other hand, there's no way I could kiss or hug someone I'm meeting up with (even friends), though I would do that with my family or someone who was leaving (but only a hug).
In Denmark we aren't to fussy about not touching people. But we will avoid sitting next to another person we don't know at all cost. Especially on public transportation or in public spaces. To go and sit directly next to someone when there is other seats available is considered to be weird and strange. Unless you know the person of course.
Is it possible to be both? I don't mind people touching me, ehhhh that sounded wrong, but I'm seriously like England if I ever touch another person... even if it's a friend ^_^
@marce well..... I have 2 friends.... I don´t give hugs to them... It just.. I does not feel right to just hug someone you only meet 1 day a week. I also have Aspergers syndrome. that´s why I don´t have many friends. because my brain don´t want more than 2.
@EUcomicartist We think I have Aspergers too and I'm the same as you.
The reason I say think is because they don't diagnose it in the UK for some stupid reason.
@Ziebenhaub_the_Texan I know! Autism can be so varying! For people with Aspergers we WANT Schedules, but in some syndromes in the Autism spectrums you work better WITHOUT them! That makes it very hard to understand what someone means by saying that they have Autism. It could be anything!
@marce
as a general rule, we swedes do not hug our friends other than very speific circumstances (like if something bad has happened and they need support), but there are exceptions, and some social circles and areas are more hugable than others.
We aren't very touchy in my family, maybe just the quick side hug at most. It's nice where I'm from then because people don't even pay attention to one another. If you accidentally touch someone, just say a quiet "sorry" and move away. That might just be me though because other people will just ignore me. I'm just too nice, my brother makes fun of me for it. Calls me a Canadian (nothing wrong with that, we just hear about super nice Canadians).
@Macklyon00
It's true.
I lived in Canada until last year, and I'm going back next year.
My friends always found it weird that I never hugged them.
I just shook their hands.
Only my single Swedish friend got it.
Sounds like England is the place to go! Though I suppose it's similar here in Germany...
I'm not a fan of touching people xP
Hugging is awkward, but the worst thing is French greeting with the kisses... THE HORROR! How does anyone do that voluntarily? With strangers???
Oh, we does that in Sweden too. We really don't like touching people we don't know. I even feel awkward hugging my FRIENDS sometimes. The only ones I'm totally comfortable with hugging is my family and small children. But instead of apologizing when we touches someone we don't know we most ignores it like "If I don't talk about it it didn't happen". I think swedes have some of the biggest "personal spheres" in the world, actually. You can just look at busses. Many prefer to stand up in them rather than sitting next to someone you don't know, and when we're going with our friends we often takes seats on different sides of the path so we don't get too close to each other. It's kind of strange, but we don't like touching. So we're quite much like England. Like, touch someone you don't know and you're scarred for life. XD
@squidpuffs #9818063 in canada we apologize for everything
When it's appropriate, we do.
That stereotype about us is mostly spread by Americans... who apologize for nothing, because they think it shows weakness... or legal liability.
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