THE METOO MOVEMENT IS CHANGING MEANINGS
The following question will be a reflection of my age but maybe yours also.
Do you remember this song by Olivia Newton-John: “let’s get physical?”
Now, don’t lie. Don’t leave me hanging to dry by myself. 😃
Anyway, she wrote this song in 1981 and the chorus is all I remember.
Here’s what it says:
Let’s get physical, physical
I want to get physical
Let’s get into physical
Let me hear your body talk, your body talk
Let me hear your body talk
Her song was a hit and was one of the classic disco songs of the 80s. I’m sure it was classic for other things as well, which I’ll leave alone.
The point is that there’s something about physical touch.
PHYSICAL TOUCH IS NOT NECESSARILY A MAN-THING
For some people, this is how they feel special, important and valued.
I know the stereotypical thinking: men are physical being and are turned on more by that than anything else. Obviously, this is not across the board. Some men are more emotional than physical.
However, a majority of men tend to lean towards physicality as one of the important components of their sexuality and masculinity.
I don’t want to get too far in this direction because the focus of this post is about people who derive great value and feelings of importance, when they are held, hugged, touched.
Some cultures are more apt to communicate importance, value, and specialness through physical touch. It’s part of the cultural DNA.
It’s also true that there are some for whom physical touch is their way of feeling loved, valued, important and cared for.
Are you one of those types?
NATURE OR NURTURE?
This is the question I’ve asked in recent posts: Is this need nature or nurture or both?. I do believe it’s the latter: Nature AND Nurture.
Imagine being on the same team whether at work or at play, and there is that one person who desires physical touch to feel special, important, and valued. What if they never get that from their superiors or co-workers? What might be the result?
POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES
I think it would impact the team in a negative way. He or she would feel like their work isn’t being acknowledged even when they hear “atta boy/girl.”
As important as it is to hear those sentiments, it’s not as important to them as a pat on the shoulder or some other physical acknowledgment to communicate “well done, we’re proud of you.” That’s more meaningful for them.
ONE OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE #METOO MOVEMENT
Unfortunately, because of recent scandals and the #metoo movement, people are less likely to show this form of acknowledgment for fear of being accused of touching inappropriately. It’s really a sad day.
I do think there’s a need to “out” these people who have been using their position and power to sexually abuse others. No doubt about that. I fully support such as long as it is not made up as a way to ruin someone’s life because of other personal agendas.
This movement on the one-hand has some “good” to it, while on the other hand, it has “bad” to it as well. More and more people are holding back from any demonstration of physical acknowledgment for reasons explained above.
This means that people whose “love language” is physical touch, may now find themselves deprived of the very thing they need most – physical touch.
What does this mean for the workplace or other places where groups of people are and in the mix are those who desire physical touch/acknowledgments?
I would like to hear your thoughts on this topic. It can be a sensitive one.
Leave a quick comment below to let me know.
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