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| Awkward...and down right creepy. |
The Atlantic Wire- In hugging, as in Olympic sports, a second or two can make all the difference. If you embrace someone and hastily retreat, you're cold. But linger too long and you're downright creepy. So it makes all the sense in the world that British psychologist Emese Nagy decided to investigate how long hugs should last by studying 128 spontaneous embraces among athletes at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. She concluded that humans, regardless of gender, hug for an average of three seconds, with an additional two seconds devoted to prepping for the hug and releasing the partner. Athletes embraced longer when their relationship was "supportive" rather than "competitive."
Well that settled nothing. Unfortunately the appropriate time span for a hug doesn't have a cut and dry standard. It varies depending on the situation and the people involved. For a more definitive answer I took the time that the author wasn't willing to to break down the list of possibilities:
1. Man on Man - 2 seconds tops. Anymore and I'll assume that you're trying to start a relationship, I'm not interested. This goes for all situations. I don't care if your dog just died or our favorite team just won the superbowl. 2 seconds.
2. Man on Woman (sympathy) - 4-5 seconds with a gentle rub of the upper back. Don't venture too far south down the back, you'll risk exposing your true intentions if she's a friend. If she's a relative, well thats just downright awkward.
3. Man on Woman (Greeting, Attractive) - 5 seconds. The longest of our acceptable hugs. Arms should be firmly centered around lower back, let her know you're the captain of the ship, but still allow her to be comfortable at the same time.
4. Man on Woman (Greeting, Ugly) - 2 seconds. She's ugly, why linger and make it any more painful than it has to be. Plus you risk the chance of somone else seeing you embracing an uggo. Never good for appearances.
5. Man on Family - 3 seconds with a polite smile and two pats on the back. The standard "good to see you" classic. This is the tuxedo of hugs. Works well for anyone.
6. Man on Friends Sister - 2-3 seconds max. Always ass-out style, don't be an asshole.
