Here's an interesting look at some research on trust and human touch from Dan Ariely. One of the things that has bothered me, is the ridiculously puritanical environment that has grown in most large companies, around the issue of touch and human contact. Oh..sure, I don't think anyone should be smacking the executive assistant on the butt, or grabbing primary or secondary reproductive equipment, but it's gotten so bad, that we can't touch each other, at all, for fear of crossing a boundary.
It seems that any thing we do which is personal, or caring, wakes up a fear of lawyers breaching the thresholds with new lawsuits about "inappropriate touch". Why aren't we talking about "inappropriate isolation" for crying out loud?
This article can be added to the stack of research that proves we need contact, we want contact, and touching one another isn't only normal, it's necessary. Shit..do I need to lawyer up now?
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