Hugs are bad for you (not!)
Back in October of 2006, I wrote about Juan Mann who offered free hugs to others because, as he said in an interview, “…everyone just seemed so miserable. So I thought I’d try to do something to just see people smile and cheer up a little bit.” The post about Juan’s free hugs also includes a moving video of the response to his hugs.
Though the hugs seemed to produce wonderful results for the hugger and huggie, authorities were not pleased (maybe because they didn’t allow themselves to be hugged). Now it seems that hugs have undergone another attack by people who don’t want any more affection being shared. An Illinois middle-school student received detention because she hugged two classmates. Yes, hugging people is against this school’s policy.
When did affection and hugging become a bad thing?
I was once a middle-school student and my stepmom was even a high school principal, so I know that “public displays of affection” (PDAs) can be disruptive and inappropriate in a school setting. What I don’t understand is how we allow ourselves to be talked into rules that prohibit kindness, compassion, and amicable ways of interacting with each other.
- If anything, kids today need more affection, not less.
- They need more room to be friendly and sociable with each other, not less room.
- Kids need more displays of love and appreciation, not less.
- Kids, and grown up kids alike, need less fear in life and more freedom.
Hugs are good for you and aren’t something that we should pass rules to prohibit. If anything a rule mandating more hugs would go a long way toward making middle-school — and even the world — a more friendly place. Now go out there and hug someone (and hope that your school, shopping mall, company, or city doesn’t have rules or laws prohibiting your act of love).
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