It is not unusual to see two grown men holding hands in Egypt.thedoc wrote:Many years ago I read a book, (I've actually read lots of books), 'The Hidden Dimention', the author explored the idea that different cultures and individuals had different 'Comfort Zones' around their physical bodies, and would be uncomfortable if someone got too close. I have felt that discomfort with people I do not know well, but have less problem with people I know well. In the book it described an encounter of two people with different dimentions and the one would try to get up close and the other was constantly backing away to maintain his own comfort zone, the dance was described as amusing to an observer. There are possibly many factors other than distance that determine a comfort zone for any one individual. I reciently encountered a little girl (with her mother) who was very shy with men and was hiding from me, but was less shy around women, according to her mother. A lot depends on the individual, their cultural background, and past experience.
Arabs generally have a close personal space, and in diplomatic conferences you can often find British officials pinned to the wall and they subtly move backwards and Arabs unconsciously move forwards.