Get a little closer!
We will be discussing personal space this week. You probably have not thought about it very much; however, you’ll know it exists after today. I don’t know how it is in other parts of the world, (those of you from Australia, England, and so forth, inform me please) when people talk to each other at social gatherings in the United States, they usually stand three to four feet apart or so.
Personal space is very different in Latin America. When people talk to each other, they usually stand closer together. Both men and women stand close together and this has no hidden or implied meaning at all, it is an everyday normal thing. They simply just stand closer together when they talk. Click here to learn Spanish.
When I first went to live in Latin America, this took some getting used to. When this happened to me for the first time, I was talking to someone and they stood very close to me. This was somewhat uncomfortable for me because I felt like they were invading my personal space. Every time I took a step backwards, they took a step closer to me without even realizing they did. After another minute or so, I again took a step backward, and again they took a step toward me without even realizing they did. I didn’t realize that personal space was a cultural thing, I thought this person was either somewhat different or was trying to send me a subtle message.
Having people stand so close to me when we talked drove me crazy during my first month in Latin America; however, I did get used to it eventually. Now that I am used to it, the personal space issue doesn’t bother me at all anymore.
For those of you who are going to travel to Latin America, I wanted to let you know that this exists with personal space. Whether you travel there for business or pleasure and you notice that the person you are talking to is standing uncomfortably close to you, they aren’t trying to send you a message by standing so close to you, they simply just stand closer together.
Sneak Peak at Next Week: My Wife’s Experience With Personal Space
¡Que tengan un buen día! (I hope you all have a good day!)
David S. Clark — President / Director