Respecting Private Spacing

7. Respecting Private Spacing

Every human likes his own space. Around each one of us is an invisible boundary which must not be rudely violated. We know one Hygienist whom everybody avoids. This person is lovely to look at, bright and eager to please and learn, but she has a major fault. She attempts to enter, without permission, into everybody’s private space.

This woman is never content with a “No!” Nor is she rebuffed by other kinds of negative responses. When people turn away from her, she will make a point of loudly asking, “Why?” Why do you do this to me? Don’t you want me around?” She will go on and on asking why, how and where and keep on inquiring even though your answers may be evasive.

If she has a personal problem she will contact every single one in the group to ask an opinion as to how to solve her particular problem, which is, more often than not, of a highly-personal nature. In short, this woman lacks finesse and common sense.

We must avoid becoming too inquisitive, hypercritical or arrogant in our Hygienic contacting. We must learn just how far we can enter into another person’s private space without becoming offensive.

It is far better to become a good listener than to talk too much, to let other people volunteer their thoughts and ideas rather than to attempt to cross that invisible line of privacy. Even practicing Hygienists should learn the art of listening. If you are a good listener, people will remark to others that you are a marvelous conversationalist! And so learned, too!

Remember that a sharp tongue is an asset to no one. A soft answer not only can turn away wrath, but it can charm the listener. Never be hypercritical of fellow Hygienists who may be but beginners, subject to error. Be gentle in discipline and slow to anger. It is important for Hygienists to pull together, not away from each other.

We should at all times in our social meetings avoid becoming arrogant and perhaps even rude. We have often observed this among certain individuals at large gatherings of Hygienists, by self-serving interests who are self-satisfied in their expertise about everything Hygienic. We have observed young people turned completely away from thoughtful consideration of Hygienic principles because a single person cut them off rudely as they asked a simple question.

This kind of arrogance has no place in Life Science. It can frighten off the more timid ones, the very ones who are perhaps most in need of bur concerned guidance and help. We need to be warm and outgoing, considerate of others and, above all, friendly in our contacts with other people. Who knows? They may know something that we don’t know, some bit of knowledge that may prove to be of great value to us at some future time.

Socializing is a time for fun, for finding and making new friends, for stroking, for learning and for helping one another over the bad times. Only by a cooperative give and take in an atmosphere of sharing can e, as individuals, hope to realize the many multiple benefits possible through socializing, with our own kind. Only  using socializing for this combined purpose can we hope :o convince others to join with us because we have something so valuable as to merit their attention.