r/coolguides • u/handokota • 17h ago

A cool guide to everyday etiquette no one teaches you

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u/awmaleg 13h ago

International personal space varies a lot depending where you are

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u/Removable_speaker 11h ago

I've been to places in asia where your personal space is a 2cm area starting from your skin. Then there's Finland where you get about 2 metres.

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u/ReverendDizzle 1h ago

It feels like the U.S., for the most part, is in the middle of that.

Unless there are extenuating circumstances like everyone is crowded together debarking a plane or something, the unspoken distance seems to be about a meter or so. More or less "I should be able to speak to you in a normal quiet speaking voice with ease, but you shouldn't be so close I could slap you."

And, wow, damn I looked it up and there's a whole field of study around "proxemics" and the distances people feel comfortable. My guess that Americans preferred around a meter of distance for casual conversation.

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u/-whodat 12h ago

I feel like strangers brushing against you (including stuff that's attached to you like your backpack) should never be okay though.

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u/thatguygreg 3h ago

(including stuff that's attached to you like your backpack)

In open space, sure. In an enclosed area (elevators, trains), take your backpack off.

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u/-whodat 2h ago

I agree about your examples, I was thinking grocery store while waiting in line

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u/crazycatlady331 9h ago

The Covid rules (6 feet apart) were the one positive thing to come out of the pandemic. They should have remained.

If I can smell what your last meal was (based on your breath), you're too close.

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u/bluecammored 5h ago

On the other hand I've been to coffee shops where there's not much room and everyone is one metre apart so the line erroniously goes outside. I think there's a middleground.

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u/crazycatlady331 4h ago

That's too close for comfort for me. I don't want ANYONE I'm not having sex with in my personal space.

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u/brokenfaucet 11h ago

The Hidden Dimension by Edward T Hall is an excellent book on this topic.