Are You a Hugger?

I think the hugging and cheek kissing became more prevalent here in the '60s and '70s too. Young people are usually worse about it. It's interesting how in the U.S., you get labeled as "socially awkward" if you are someone who doesn't like physical contact with people you don't know very well. It's sort of expected that everyone should be open to hugging, at least in some social circles. Oh, I can only imagine how you suffer when you are in Italy! Cheek kissing is worse than hugging, in my opinion. I refuse to kiss anyone other than my boyfriend. Sometimes his sister will kiss me on the cheek (and sometimes even on the mouth!) and it makes me so uncomfortable. Seems you came up with a clever way of dealing with the cheek kissing. It's funny that you make them jump for it.

LOL...jump to kiss you on cheek..lol Lucky me..I come from conservative world. Hugging is not so common out here. Only those who have been abroad return and do that possibly to indicate, we have lived abroad. But I do hug kids a lot, no kissing what so ever. My germs have no business to get on to them, nor theirs on to me.

@Srbageldog I must confess that I don't do it all the time (the let people jump up thing). I *have* to hug and cheek kiss some relatives of my husband's. If they're old, they're really small. Then I bend down to them. The cheek kissing is not real kissing. It's only air kissing. If someone kissed me on the mouth, I'd screech! I think an open word with your b/f's sister is necessary. If you don't like it, she mustn't do it. There is no right or wrong. She simply has to respect your way of seeing things. You can tell her or ask your b/f to tell her. I must say that I show through my body language and general behaviour that I'm not a fan of this touchy-feely behaviour. People who know me and aren't completely stupid, leave me alone. In Germany, we have many Turks. They are great huggers and kissers, also men with men. It's their tradition. Once I watched two young men who cheek-kissed each other eight times!! I was fascinated.

It's different if you hug people you are close to, as opposed to people you aren't too close to.

@Srbageldog yes that's right..

I hug people I'm close to, also. I hate it when people I don't know too well come up and try to hug me. Or when women I've never seen before run up to my boyfriend in the store and hug him...because he knew them in high school or some crap. I think it's so inappropriate to do that!

@Courtlynn Exactly. Well, when it's some women I have never seen before, and she's younger than me, and she comes running up squealing and throwing herself at my boyfriend, it seems really weird. Like who the hell is that? That has happened a number of times. I can't imagine any women acting that way toward my dad or uncles, or my grandpa. It's like people nowadays have no boundaries.

@Srbageldog maybe not inappropriate, but rude to just do it especially if havent talked or anything and the gf is right there. Like, I know you see me.

I'm glad I'm not the only one like this.

@Srbageldog Unless hug from the one who I loved , then Its ok

@akhsan I agree. I don't mind hugging my boyfriend, but I don't like hugging anyone else.